MYSTERIOUS and STRANGE Disappearances with Steve Stockton

MYSTERIOUS and STRANGE Disappearances with Steve Stockton

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh, I've been separated from my group.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Uh, it's been a couple of hours now I think.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
I'm not sure.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
I was trying to find my way out and I can't.
But I'm gonna stay here. I don't think that I
went too far I am. I'm not sure that I
don't know the name of the cave.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
The last the.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Last entry point was somewhere near to them, Quantanamo in Mexico.
If someone can notify the police or the authorities, or
someone can help, I'm gonna stay here. I have water
and some food.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
I'm gonna stay here. Hello, friends, Steve Stockton here with
you now. For some a walk in the wilderness can
be the perfect getaway from everyday life and a chance
to reconnect with mother Nature. For others, the great outdoors
can be a dangerous place and unfortunately as a place

(01:09):
where many people meet their end or just mysteriously vanish.
Here are cases for you to consider. Randy Rascoe. On
November nineteenth, twenty fifteen, park rangers at the Mammoth Cave
National Park in Kentucky noticed that a car had been
sitting in the car park for around two weeks. This

(01:29):
immediately set off warning bells and After doing some digging
for information, they discovered that the car belonged to forty
year old Randy Rascoe. As the car had been there
for quite some time, the park rangers set about searching
for Randy right away, but when he couldn't be found
in or near the parking area, they opened an investigation
and widened their search. Park rangers and investigators contacted Randy's

(01:53):
family to see if they had spoken to him, but chillingly,
they had been out of contact for a few months.
According to his sister Sherry, up until May twenty fifteen,
everything was normal on a regular basis. He was doing
his normal things, hunting, fishing, and kept in contact with
her brother, who lived close to his Bowling Green apartment.

(02:15):
Then one day, out of the blue, he packed up
his belongings, quit his job, and had his mail forward
it to another address, and just left. Cherry said they
filed a missing person's report after they found out he
had just fled, and were worried as he had recently
gotten divorced. For a month, the Rascoe family waited for
any news, and in June he was found safe and

(02:35):
sound in Washington State. Randy made it clear that he
didn't want to speak to his family at that time
and wanted to be alone. As painful as it was,
his family respected his boundaries and assured him they would
welcome him back with open arms whenever he was ready.
For the next few months, it's believed that Randy traveled
all around the US, all while maintaining his privacy and secrecy.

(02:59):
His family didn't know that anything was wrong until the
Mammoth Cave National Park rangers contacted them to let them
know that his car had been found abandoned. With this
second disappearance, his family hoped that there would be a
positive resolution, but sadly, Randy Rascoe is still missing. Search crews, volunteers,
and even the Civil Air Patrol all joined the end

(03:20):
of the search for Randy, scaringly over fifty three thousand
acres of land of the park. Despite their best efforts
and multiple searches, no sign of Randy has ever been found,
and his car is the only clue we have in
terms of his mysterious disappearance. Randy Rascoe is described as
a white male six foot two inches taught, with black hair,

(03:41):
hazel eyes, and a slim, athletic build. Anyone with any
information is as to please contact the Mammoth Cave National
Park at two seven zero seven five eight two one
eight zero. Catherine van Alst, eight year old Van Alst,
disappeared from Devil's Den State Park, near Arkansas's Ozark National

(04:05):
Forest when she and her family were camping. Catherine apparently
was playing with her brothers when she wandered off and
got lost. What makes Catherine's disappearance remarkable is she was
found six days later. When found, she was wandering the
woods and was eerily calm. University of Arkansas student Border

(04:27):
Chadwick was part of the search party that found Catherine.
He told the Pittsburgh Press that when he found her,
she walked starically out of a cave and just said,
here I am. Many other hikers have gotten lost in
that part of the Ozarks and haven't been as lucky
as Catherine. A grown woman was lost there for seventeen
days and died just fifty yards from the road. How

(04:51):
did Catherine survive in the woods for six days? Did
someone take her only to return her six days later?
Or as explanation of this story that we simply can't comprehend.
Either way, someone or something might just be lurking in
Devil's Den Kenny Veach. Forty seven year old Kenny Veach

(05:15):
mysteriously disappeared in the Mohave Desert in Nevada on November fourteenth,
twenty fourteen. Kenny was hiking near Area fifty one and
was looking for cave systems and mine shafts. Kenny has
uploaded several videos to his YouTube channel under the username
snake Bitt McGee, where he describes entering a cave with
an M shaped opening. He wrote in one comment that

(05:37):
ain't nothing. I'm a long distance hiker. One time, during
one of my hikes out by Nellis Air Force Base,
I found a hidden cave. The entrance to the cave
was shaped like a perfect capital M. I always enter
every cave I find, but as I began to enter
this particular cave, my whole body began to vibrate. Suddenly,
I became very scared and I tailed out of there.

(05:59):
That was one of the strangest things that ever happened
to me. Now, these videos gained popularity following his mysterious disappearance,
and in these videos he does indeed talk about how
his whole body vibrated and he felt scared upon entering
this mysterious m cave armed with a gun and a camera.
This time, Kenny headed back out to the m cave
on November tenth, twenty fourteen, hoping to get a better

(06:21):
look inside. However, Kenny never returned home. Although he was
a very experienced hiker and outdoorsman, Kenny rarely took a
map or GPS device with him on his hikes. According
to his family, on the day of his disappearance, he
told him that he would only be gone for a
short overnight trip. Then when he didn't return home, they
immediately called the police. Police volunteers, and search and rescue

(06:44):
teams all scattered the area where Kenny was last known
to have been. On November twenty second, twenty fourteen, volunteers
found Kenny's phone. According to those volunteers, the trail went
cold soon after they located his phone, and there have
been no signs of Kenny ever since. At the time
of this episode, the mysterious disappearance of Kinny Beach is

(07:04):
very much alive in true crime and paranormal circles, but
it appears that we are still no closer to uncovering
the truth Devil's Whole and the tragic disappearance of two
teens in nineteen sixty five. Now, there's just something about
a place with the name devil in its title that
pigs the curiosity of some people. There are countless locations

(07:28):
all over the world which have this particular word in
their name. Not only devil, either, there are many other
words that symbolize or mean devil or evil, or some
other form of something not very good or beautiful, given
somewhite ironically to some of the world's most breathtaking and
wondrous places. Sometimes the location will have got its name

(07:50):
innocently enough, such as because the geology of the place
simply looks foreboding and sinister, especially under the cover of night.
Much of the time, these particular places are said to
be cursed, enchanted, or downright evil, and the spooky and
scary landscape only lends credence to these rumors and legends.

(08:13):
So much of the time, though, these places with this
particular word in the title are associated with not just devils,
demon spirits, and other other worldly phenomena, but with real tragedies, disappearances, deaths,
maybe bizarre sounds and strange lights in the sky. Today, though,

(08:34):
we're going to focus on one place in particular, We're
a mysterious tragedy struck Devil's Hole, which is located in
the aptly named Death Valley National Park in California, United States.
This portion of the Mohabi Desert contained in Death Valley
National Park is the driest and hottest place in the
United States. Near bad water in the Long Trench of

(08:58):
the desert, between the Panamint Range on the west and
the Black Mountains on the east, is the lowest dry
land in the Western Hemisphere, an amazing two hundred and
eighty two feet below sea level. A veritable showcase of
desert extremes, Death Valley National Park includes one of the
largest salt pans on Earth, dramatically faulted landscapes, young volcanic craters,

(09:23):
and massive dune fields. Today, we're going all the way
back to the year nineteen sixty five. Death Valley was
very different from the Los Angeles of the time, where
there were uprisings happening all over the place and all
of it being shown live on the evening news. Death Valley, California,

(09:43):
was in one of the least populated parts of the
state at the time, and a whole different world from
the more largely inhabited cities which surrounded it. On June twentieth,
nineteen sixty five, four high school buddies set out to
remote desert location about nine isles northwest of Las Vegas.
Their intent was to joydive into a deep geothermal abyss

(10:06):
called Devil's Hole. Sadly, two of the young men would
never re emerge from this mysterious fossil water portal. Arriving
at their destination, the foursome hiked up of hot Barren Hillsite,
which overlooked a large scale ranching operation that would nearly
erase a much smaller and nearly ancient complex called ash

(10:28):
Meadows within a few short years. A well trampled trail
led to the entrance of a limestone chasm that had
allegedly opened a whopping sixty thousand years ago after possibly
some seismic event caused the roof of the cave to
collapse in on itself. The foursome of boys, which was
made up of Paul gian Conteri, a nineteen year old

(10:50):
cafeteria worker at the nearby Nevada Test site, his new
brother in law, twenty year old David Rose, who was
a Las Vegas casino parking attendant for with their other friend,
nineteen year old Bill Alter and his younger brother Jack,
Boys scrambled under a fenced enclosure posted with warning signs,
and thinking they were immune to any trouble these warning

(11:13):
signs might be posted about, they proceeded to descend the
thirty or so feet down to a ledge where the
faint but flitting movement of tiny blue gray pupfish could
be observed swimming in the eight by sixty foot pool,
That is, if any of the four young men had
bothered to look just a bit closer at what they
were about to jump into. After suiting up with scuba tanks, masks,

(11:35):
and dive lights, Paul, David, and Bill dove into the
claustrophobic waters. The temperature was nearly indistinguishable from that of
their skin. Upon entering the pool, The boys most likely
disturbed the delicate algae s falling mats, where the entire
population of the exceedingly rare Cyprinodon diabolus continues to prosper

(11:57):
and breed exclusively. Jack was the only one who hadn't
jumped in, as he was delegated the one who would
remain stationed on the ledge in case anything went wrong.
Some time after midnight, Paul failed to resurface, so David
and Bill quickly redove into the waters in a vain
attempt to locate their missing friend. Bill Alter frantically followed

(12:19):
David Rose down to approximately one hundred and seventy feet
until David too disappeared into the darkness. The bodies of
the brothers in law were never recovered. Many people believed
back then and still do believe that these young men
were inspired to go diving at night, despite the dangers
in the specific place, because of a newspaper article from
the year before, which detailed a speleological research expedition of

(12:44):
a massive underground lake below Death Valley led by California
based professional diver Jim House, who would ironically dive numerous
times around the clock with military personnel and other volunteer
divers in their attempt to locate the missing men for
thirty cent whole hours until the search was eventually called off.
The only traces left of the two brother in laws

(13:07):
a mask and a snorkel. There was also a flashlight
tied to alledge some hundred feet below. It seemed to
signal and effectively the way out of the otherworldly underwater
cave system. Articles detailing the unsuccessful rescue effort were published
nationwide in the Sarasota Journal date of June twenty second,

(13:28):
eighteen sixty five. Outstated that he had previously dived in
Devil's Hole around three hundred times over twenty eight trips,
further commenting, it's beautiful in there. It goes straight down
one hundred and sixty feet like a pipe, then opens
into a room that is about three hundred feet long
and maybe forty feet wide. The bottom of the room

(13:49):
is about two hundred and sixty feet down. Then it
narrows into another tube. I dived to three hundred and
fifteen feet. Maybe that's a record, I don't know. But
at the end into the tube, it opens again into
something else. We don't know what the next room is,
or if it's a room at all. It's like infinity.

(14:11):
There are some very terrifying legends from the native tribes
of the area about this particular place called Devil's Hole.
The Timbasha told tales of water babies who would surface
and swallow a swimmer or diver hole should they stay
in the pool for too long. Other legends suggested that
so a Pizi, a legendary malevolent giant who dwelled at

(14:32):
mountain springs and caves, would snatch and devour unwary victims.
Miss was standing. Barbara Durham, an elder of the timbisious Shoshoni,
who shared these stories at a two thousand and two workshop,
admitted that she and her friends enjoyed how the pupfish
tickled their toes when they played in the spring. Keep

(14:53):
in mind here that the Devil's Hole pupfish, as they
are specifically named, are considered by experts to be the
rarest fish found anywhere on the planet. They were even
the first ever species to be classified as endangered. The
fish are not important to the story at all, really,
but it seemed worth mentioning in order to reinforce how
very special and perhaps a bit magical this place actually is.

(15:17):
As far as the two young men who disappeared without
a trace back in this mystical and extremely dangerous underwater
cave system decades ago, well, they've never been found, and
neither have any clues relating to what could it possibly
happen to them. As for one more bit of interesting
fact that could lend a bit of creden says something
a bit more sinister being afoot, as the local tribes

(15:39):
absolutely believe that this otherwise serene and tranquil looking water source.
It's said that Charles Manson himself spent several days at
Devil's Hole trying to figure out a way to make
it safely down into the chasm, with some saying he
was convinced he would never have to come back up.

(16:00):
He had an obsession with the place that was convinced
that there was an underwater portal to an alternate dimension,
or more specifically, a portal to the underworld, where he
felt he and his family would be able to safely
wait out the coming apocalypse he so famously predicted what
happened that never actually did. Charles Manson's problem lie in

(16:22):
figuring out a way to drain the whole, and it
seemed like he may have been given this idea by
an alleged Indian legend that resurfaced during the nineteen twenties,
contending that a subterranean sect of leather clad humanoids lived
down within an early yellow green lid of boat somewhere
in the Mohave Desert. Could this possibly be true? Just

(16:44):
as with the case of these poor young men just
doing what young men do and looking for a night
or perhaps irresponsible but never thought to be deadly fun,
we may never actually know. Hello, friends, There's something so interesting,

(17:04):
albeit a bit macabb about our fascination these days with
death and murder. We see it all over television and
the internet. And who in this community hasn't sat for
hours and watched shows about serial killers I've never been caught,
and movies made about unsolved disappearances and whatnot. Seems like
a bad train wreck where we know we shouldn't look,

(17:25):
but we can't help but do it anyway. On this channel,
we try to respectfully cover as many of those strange
and mysterious missing person cases and murders as we can,
and we try to do it in depth. Sometimes though
there just isn't enough information for us to go fully
in depth or as deep into the cases we would
like to, But we still feel these people and their

(17:45):
situations and stories should be talked about and discussed as
well lest they be forgotten. Sometimes it's not a person
at all, but an entity which has some strangers our
mystery lurking around it where we just can't let go
and need to know more. Here's a collection of some
of the most mysterious deaths or unsolved disappearances that we

(18:07):
could find. Could you or someone you know hold the
clue to unlock these mysteries? Number one The Mary Celeste.
On December fifth, eighteen seventy two, the American merchant ship
named the Mary Celeste was found to drift approximately four
hundred miles away from the Zorus Islands of Portugal, located
in the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean. The Canadian

(18:30):
vessel came across the drifting ship, which was still at
partial sale, and stopped the ship in order to investigate
what the issue was. The Marry Celeste was found to
be carrying a full cargo load of cask of industrial
alcohol and enough food and water to last several people
a few months. While the crew's belongings were all found
on and around their bunks and only one of the

(18:51):
lifeboats was found to be missing, the ship was completely
and totally devoided people. The ship had left New York
and was headed to Italy with ten people aboard. There
were seven members of the crew, the ship's captain, his wife,
and their daughter, who was only two years old. At
the time. No sight or a sign of any of
them was ever found. There have been theories and rumors

(19:13):
circulating about this case since the ship was located, but
never anything factual to go by. Even Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle wrote a story about a ship called Mary Celeste
where everyone on board had been murdered by deranged serial killer. Unfortunately,
this spictationous account by a well known author was sometimes
taken to be what actually happened. The truth of the

(19:34):
matter is, though no one knows what fate really befell
the passengers on this ship. Many researchers speculate those board
fled for fear of the alcohol fumes leaking from the
cask causing a possible explosion. Still, others say they must
have fallen victim to Moroccan pirates who were some unknown
and nonsensical reason, carried off the people but none of

(19:55):
the cargo before whatever fate befell these four ten souls
suppor of that ship that fathful December day. The Mary
Celeste was associated with much death and hardship, and has
been subject to rumor of bad luck and even a curse.
While we may never know the truth, it's said today
that perhaps the crew with a captain who was a

(20:15):
devout Christian and never drank alcohol, clearly and loudly stated
he would never abandon his ship unless it were to
be for saving lives, were all abducted by some sort
of extraterrestrials. It's just a good theory as any others
at this point. What do you think? Number two? Rodney Marx.

(20:35):
On May twelve, two thousand, an Australian astrophysicist named Rodney
Marx was stuck in the middle of a very dark
and extremely frigid Antarctic winter. He was stationed at the
Mundsen Scott Station, which was at the time an American
scientific research base located near the South Pole. There were
only forty nine other people there with Rodney, and they
were all basically trapped there at that location until the spring.

(21:00):
There are no winter flights too or from the South
Pole because they're extremely dangerous and far too risky. These
people were working and for the most part is said
have all gotten along with one another fairly well. Rodney
Marx died on that twelfth of May, and what happened
to him and who was involved remains a mystery because
his body had to be frozen and kept at the

(21:21):
base until spring, when flights started again. The only thing
anyone knew was that he had died of some type
of mysterious illness. Once his body was flown back to
New Zealand had thought out, it was discovered he had
been murdered poisoned by methanol, and all the other forty
nine people there with him were suspects Rodney had most
likely consumed the toxic substance without even knowing it. The

(21:44):
authorities eventually ruled out that he had taken his own life,
and also thought it highly unlikely he had drunk the
substance accidentally. All the others there with him for the
winter were interviewed, but of course nothing ever came from
any of it, and eventually foul play was ruled out
of the factor in his untimely demise. The case is
sometimes called the first murder committed at the South Pole,

(22:06):
and the events that surrounded his poisoning are said to
have never been determined. So what happened to Rodney? How
does someone die from methanol poisoning without being murdered, without
it having been an accident, and without them having done
it their self? To take their own life. This is
one we also may never find. The answers to What's

(22:27):
your opinion? Number three The Impossible Murder. In nineteen thirty one,
in Liverpool, there lived a lovely husband and wife named
Julia and William Wallace. The couple seem normal enough until
one day in January that same year, when something happened
that is so bizarre, mysterious, and which is still unsolved

(22:48):
to this day that has since come to be known
as the Impossible Murder. William Wallace was an insurance salesman
who'd received a message one eating from someone asking him
to meet him at an address on Love Gardens East
so they could discuss policies. William was hesitant and normally
wouldn't have even entertained doing business in such a way,
but there was a depression at the time and he

(23:10):
figured he would take what he could get as far
as sales. On January twenty first, nineteen thirty one, William
left his home and headed to his appointment with a
mysterious man who had requested his presence, Assuming that it
was a lead on a sale, William tried to find
the address, but after a while of searching and some
other strange circumstances found the address he had been called

(23:30):
to simply didn't exist, and he had it home frustrated
and had bit confused. William claimed that if on returning
home he found his wife murdered plunging to death in
the living room. William was eventually convicted of his wife's murder,
but then it was overturned on appeal. There trust wasn't
enough evidence. Actually, there wasn't any evidence, not really, and

(23:54):
the cases continued to fascinate both armchair detectives researchers and
web slutes alike. Historical researchers have since speculated that the
murder was committed by a co worker of Wallace's, which
he had fired and accused him investment from the company.
In twenty thirteen, a British crime writer named P. D.
James said she believes that Wallace did in fact kill

(24:15):
his wife Julia, and just happened to be helped along
by a coincidental prank call to men Love Gardens East
that very same night. So what do you think? This
is just a quick synopsis of this one, and there's
so many mysterious twists and bizarre turns in between. It's
enough to make your head spin. There are literally entire
books written about this one case, number four toman Should,

(24:41):
Australia's most mysterious death, is known as the toman Should case.
This title comes from a Persian word that was printed
on a small scrap of paper found in the dead
man's pocket. The man was found dead on the beach
south of Adelaide in December of nineteen forty eight. The
only things found on the body were a train ticket,
a few cigarettes, a comb, and that tiny scrap of

(25:03):
paper with the Persian word. There was no identification either.
Taman should translates to the end from Persian to English,
which really was the clue in and of itself. However,
this piece of paper was found to be from a
very rare edition of a book of poetry called the
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam, and the last two words from

(25:24):
that book are the words taman should. Even more mysterious
when't The pathologist who performed the autopsy said that he
suspected that the unnamed man had died from poisoning somehow,
and this too, how it came about as shrouded a
mystery as well. The police appealed to the public and
located what seemed to be the book. The scrap of

(25:45):
paper came from, which was found on the man. Inside
the book, which they came across by some unknown and
unnamed means, also contained a phone number. This number led
them to an Australian woman who claims she didn't know
and had never meant the deceased man found on the beach,
and further claim that while she had once owned a
copy of the book, she had lent it to someone. Again,

(26:06):
no specific person was named to lead to who it
was she allegedly led the book to. There was also
some handwritten code throughout the book which seemed to be
a series of letters, but the code was never cracked
and it's still unknown what it all said and meant.
In two thousand and nine, an author by the name
of Derek Abbott, who was also a professor at the
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in Adelaide, came forth

(26:29):
with a theory of his own and proposed the coded
letters were traces of a manual encryption or decryption of
a message using a one time pad. This is said
to be an espionage technique that can be based on
texts from a specific book in this case, most likely
it was from the same rare edition of the original
book in question. Some people believe this gives way to

(26:52):
the theory that there was some sort of spir ring
operating in Australia at the time, and that the taman
Should case had something to do with that. This is
another case where there are just no answers at all,
and the full story is one like you'll never find
again or heard before. Who was this mysterious man, What
connection did he have, if any, to the equally mysterious woman.

(27:15):
Was he murdered or did he take his own life?
What in the world did all this have to do
with that rare edition of the book of poetry. Sometimes
cases come along where there just are no definitive answers.
Usually we can live with that because when we follow
the facts and evidence, it leads to some sort of
reasonable conclusion. Then there are cases like the ones above,

(27:37):
where there are not only any rational answers or any
factual evidence, there are also no reasonable conclusions that could
be drawn, and we are all left frustrated and scratching
our heads until we move on to the next one.

Speaker 3 (27:52):
He slat out told us, Moms, she's dead. She needs
our house and that's when I got the goosebumps, and
I was like, oh my gosh. He was just in
our car and he was pointing out to a certain
spot in the meadow.

Speaker 4 (28:04):
While Victoria Gorba and her family stopped for lunch, her
son Kayden began talking to someone, and.

Speaker 3 (28:09):
My husband and I kind of looked at each other
like what, and he goes, yeah, there's a lady over
in the meadow in a black shirt, and I got goosebucks.
He says, she needs our help, but she's dead and
she's laying face down with her legs up and she
can't talk to me. But she's over there. We need

(28:32):
to go help her.

Speaker 4 (28:33):
Jake and Victoria checked out the meadow but saw nothing.

Speaker 3 (28:36):
He kept saying, trust me, trust me, mom, and I
was like, I trust you, Bud. You know, I believe
you one hundred percent.

Speaker 4 (28:43):
Spooked, the couple decided to end the trip early and
head home.

Speaker 3 (28:46):
And we put it on Facebook seeing if anybody knew
anything about the area, and come to find out that
there was a lady missing with the description that he
described to us was in a five mile radius of
where we were.

Speaker 4 (29:00):
Sandra Hughes had gone missing in July of twenty twenty,
Cayden had described her in detail and recognized her in
three of four photos.

Speaker 3 (29:08):
He was very adamant that we needed to help her,
and he describes down to blue hair. He said, she
has a black shirt, blue jeans, and blue hair.

Speaker 2 (29:20):
Mom.

Speaker 3 (29:22):
That's the exact description of her when she went missing.

Speaker 1 (29:28):
Hello, friends, We recently learned of what may be one
of the strangest updates to a missing person case that
we've ever brought forth. Now, sometimes in these missing person
cases that we cover, there will be a little bit
of a paranormal or supernatural element. It's usually something small
and not very significant to the overall case, but sometimes

(29:50):
it seems that the unknown can play a larger part
in these cases, stories of UFOs, the Fae, Bigfoot, rather
Cryptid's portal, translucent entities, et cetera. But is it possible
that the ghost of a missing woman may be trying
to help solve her disappearance, or at least help locate
her remains. We ask that you keep an open mind

(30:14):
and consider it the following case. Back in episode number
seven of our ten Unsolved National Park Disappearances series, we
brought you the story of Sandra Hughes to recap Fifty
four year old Sandra Johnson Hughes of California was last
heard from on June twenty six, twenty twenty. Sandra had

(30:35):
embarked on a solo camping trip in the Sierra south
of Yosemite to escape from the current pandemic. Sandra had
recently moved from Maui, Hawaii, to California in June of
twenty twenty. She had trained to be a park ranger
in college and was experiencing the outdoors. On July fifth
of that year, the Madera County Sheriff's Office asked for

(30:56):
the public's help in locating Sandra after they found her
campsite near the Johnson's Meadow section of the forest in disarray.
On that same day, the authorities located Hughes Silver Sob
and Shequido Creek to the north of the camp site.
They said it appeared to have crashed into a tree
at a speed of less than twenty miles per hour
before it rolling into the ravine. Hikers reported Saint Sandra

(31:19):
on July fourth, twenty twenty, and said she was barefoot
and had a bruise on her face. They offered to
help her, but she declined. Medical assistance officers and volunteer
search and rescue teams from more than half a dozen
other sheriff's departments, together with dog teams, the California Highway
Patrol and the Governor's Office of Emergency Services, combed the

(31:39):
forest on foot, while helicopters from California Air National Guard
did an aerial search. The search focused around the area
where her car was found, but there was no sign
of Sandra. Then, on August ninth, twenty twenty two, hunters
saw a woman leaning against a tree along Road five
S zero one near Biesore Road. She did not wave

(32:01):
them down, attempt contact, or appear to be in any distress.
Upon returning, they recognized her from a missing persons fire
and contacted park rangers. The hunter said that she appears
to be visibly thinner than her last known photos. At
the time of her disappearance. Sandra was a fifty four
year old white female with blue shoulder lenked hair. Her

(32:22):
natural color is brown. She has brown eyes, is approximately
five foot three inches tall, and weighs about one hundred
and fifty pounds. The search for Sandra was ongoing but
limited now flashed forward to almost exactly one year later.
This strange update to the case comes from the Madair
County Sheriff's Office in Madeir, California. It seems that a

(32:45):
family from nearby Course Gold, California, experienced a bizarre broad
daylight ghost sighting in the Madeir County Mountains on Wednesday,
July twenty first, twenty twenty one. The event was so
strange and disturbing that the Madair County Sheriff's Office felt
the need to further investigate. It seems that a man

(33:06):
named Jake Gorba, his wife Victoria, and their three children
decided to take their four wheeler up to the shut
Eye Peak on that faithful Wednesday. While on this family outing,
they stopped to have something to eat beside the trail,
and that's when things started to get strange. The couple's
three year old son, Caden, suddenly began animatedly talking to

(33:27):
someone nearby. He was just in our four wheeler and
he was pointing out to a certain spot in the meadow,
said his mom Victoria. The normally reserved and somewhat quiet
Caden excitedly told his parents that they're in the meadow
by where the family was having lunch was a woman
lying face down with her legs straight up in the air. Furthermore,

(33:48):
Caden stated that the woman was unable to speak or
move and needed help. He began pleading with his parents
to help this poor woman. He flat out told us, Mom,
she's already dead, but she needs our help. And that's
when I got the goose bumps. I was like, oh
my gosh, Victoria said. He goes, yeah, there's a lady

(34:09):
over in the meadow in a black shirt, blue jeans,
and blue hair, and I got goose bumps, said Victoria.
He says, she needs our help, but she's dead and
she's lying face down with her legs up. She can't
talk to me, but she's over there. We need to
go help her. So in order to calm young Caden down,

(34:29):
Jake and Victoria walked over and checked out the metal
but saw absolutely nothing. Caden continued to insist. He kept saying,
trust me, trust me, Mom, And I was like, I
trust you, I trust you. I believe you one hundred percent,
said Victoria. Whatever young Caden was experiencing so unnerved and
spoke the rest of the family that the other members

(34:52):
of the family all unanimously agreed it's time to put
an early end to their day of adventure and make
the thirty five mile drive back home to Course Calf.
After arriving home, the event still fresh in her mind,
Victoria decided to post about the weird encounter on her
Facebook profile. We put it on Facebook to see if
anybody knew anything about this area, and come to find out,

(35:15):
there was a lady missing with a description that he
described to us within a five mile radius of where
we were, said Victoria. Now, viewers of this channel No
from our previous episode number seven, Sandra Hughes had gone
missing in that area in June of twenty twenty. The
encounter became even more chilling when, according to Victoria, three

(35:35):
year old Kaden's highly detailed description of the woman he
had seen in the meadow was identical to the description
of Sandra Hughes as given by the local authorities. He
was very adamant that we needed to help her, and
he described her down to blue hair. He said, she
has a black shirt, blue jeans, and blue hair. Mom.
That's the exact description of her when she went missing,

(35:57):
said Victoria. Then Victoria and searched online for Sandra Hughes
and found some photographs that have been released as a
part of the search effort a year prior. Because said
she got goosebumps when Cayden readily recognized three of the
photos of Sandra, identifying her as the woman he had
seen in the field. As fate would have it, Madera

(36:17):
County Sheriff Corporal Chris Williams just happened to see the
Facebook post and found it intriguing, to say the least,
so much so that he contacted Cayden's family to further
investigate the chilling account. Victoria said the corporal in charge
of her case actually reached out to us on Facebook
and was like, Hey, we want more information and we

(36:37):
want to bring you guys back up there and see
if you could point us in the right direction. Corporal
Williams has been investigating the disappears of Sandra Hughes since
the beginning of the investigation. On the following Thursday, two,
Madera County Sheriff's deputies ventured back up to the meadow
to investigate, with Jake and Caden coming along to point
them in the right direction. Unfortunately, and the deputies found

(37:00):
nothing new by way of evidence. Although the case remains open.
If she was possibly a ghost looking for some help,
I hope that he could have at least helped and
maybe helped the family find her, because it's been a
long time apparently since she's been gone. Victoria said. The
four wheeler that Cayden and his family used while traveling

(37:21):
in the mountains has now been nicknamed the Ghost Runner,
and incidentally, is also for sale. It's not believed that
the spooking encounter is the reason they put the vehicle
up for sale, as the family says they will continue
to go adventuring in the Madeira Mountains, but do admit
there are a few spots now which they aren't anxious
to visit again anytime soon, if at all. Local news

(37:41):
reporters in the area reached out to the Madera County
Sheriff's Office, who did confirm that they received the report
of a possible sighting of some sort and they did
go out to the location to search for any additional
leads or information. For now, the case remains open and
hopes that this latest update regarding the spooking en counter
may produce some new leads. Now. As strange as this

(38:02):
new development is, it's not the first time that possibly
a ghost helped solve the missing person's case. Back on
February twenty first, nineteen ninety seven, the TV show Unsolved
Mysteries aired a segment regarding a missing person's case from
almost three years prior. This report told the story of

(38:22):
twenty three year old Christine Scuubage and her three year
old son Nick. They were driving along Highway fifty in
the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in California when they vanished
without a trace on June sixth, nineteen ninety four. Christine
was a single mother and it recently completed parallegal training.
She had plans of going to work for a prestigious

(38:43):
law firm, and she helped to make enough money so
that she and her child's father could be married. Christine
left her stepparents home near Sacramento on June fifth, nineteen
ninety four, on her way to Carson City, Nevada. After
failing to make contact with her family. After three days,
her step father, Dave Stossenbach, reported her and her son

(39:03):
missing on June eighth. The police took the missing person's report,
but there were no initial leads in the case. Five
days after Christine and Nick disappeared. However, a woman named
Debraah Hoyt and her husband were driving along the Highway
fifty around three am. The pair were on along overnight
drive and had been joking and singing in order to

(39:24):
keep each other away. Suddenly never saw what appeared to
be a completely naked woman lying on the side of
the road. The naked woman's face was turned toward the
road and she was laying on her side with her
knees slightly bent. She had one arm placed beneath her
head and the other arm held over her head. The
Holtz were shocked beyond belief. They thought it must have

(39:46):
been some sort of sick practical joke, or perhaps he
would employ the carjack them had they stopped. Deborah floored
the accelerator instead and sped down Highway fifty, not stopping
until she arrived at the nearest phone booth, where she
proceeded to call the foe. In just minutes. Two Sharf's
cards with the scene were deborn seeing the naked woman's body. However,

(40:07):
unable to pinpoint the exact location, the deputies reported that
they saw and found nothing. The next morning, though speculations
began that the sighting had something to do with the
disappearance of Christine and Nick, who were the most recently
missing people from that area. Due to the insistence from
the family, deputy Rich Strasser decided to go back and

(40:28):
have a closer look. Strasser figured that it might be
easier to spot anything out of the ordinary in the daylight.
Deborah had indicated that a particularly dangerous stretch of Highway fifty,
known as Bullion Bend, was where the incident took place.
As Strasser patrolled the area, he spotted a new looking
child's tennis shoe on the side of the road. Immediately

(40:49):
next to that spot and the shoulder of the road
was a steep embankment. Strasser pulled over his cruiser to
search the area more thoroughly, and sure enough, at the
bottom of the embankment he spotted the twisted remains of
Christine's car. He checked Christine and observed that she was
dead and unfortunately had been that way for quite some time.

(41:10):
The deputy then went around to the other side to
check Nick, who was curled up in a fetal position
in the passenger seat. Strasser assumed the worst and was
sure that Nick was also dead. However, when he touched
the little boy's neck to find a pulse, it appeared
that Nick took a breath. Strasser immediately radioed for an ambulance.

(41:31):
Little Nick had been alone in the car for five days,
yet he was somehow still clinging to life. Officials believed
that sometime around two am on June sixth, Christine must
have fallen asleep at the wheel. The car veered off
the road and plunged to the bottom of the ditch,
striking a tree. Due to the embankment being so steep,

(41:51):
other drivers drove right past the accident, seen for days,
unaware that it was just over the side of the road.
It was later determined that Christine had been killed instantly
on impact with a tree to your old Nick was
all alone, with no way out and no one to
talk to. Christine's mother says that she believes that little
Nick spent the time talking to his mother, unaware that

(42:13):
she was dead. Against all odds, he survived five days
of intense heat and four nights of cold, trapped within
the twisted remains of the car. Doctors who examined nickt
stated that he was in such bad shape that he
would have most likely die within a couple of hours
had he not been found when he was. The strange

(42:34):
encounter that saved Nick's life seems to defy any rational explanation.
If deb had not seen the naked woman lying on
the side of the road, Nick would have not survived.
Now it's absolutely impossible for Christine to have been the
naked woman. She was still fully clothed and wearing her
seatbelt when found, and the medical examiner stated that she
was most likely killed on impact. Debah Hoyt is one

(42:57):
hundred percent certain that she saw a naked woman on
the side of the road. Both she and Christine's family
believe it was Christine's spirit who saved Nick that day.
The spirit had apparently appeared in the nude in order
to draw attention. Nick years later, as an adult, was
interviewed on a television show Paranormal Witness. He remembers seeing

(43:19):
a bright light surrounding the car following the accident. To
this day, he believes that his mother was watching over
him following the accident and helped him to be rescued.
The show also revealed that Christine's aunt had several dreams
or premonitions about the accident before Christine and Nick were
even reported missing, She dreamed of seeing them lying in

(43:40):
their car in a ditch. She also saw the number
sixteen in the dream, which turned out to be the
number for the mile marker nearest the accident's site. Well,
there you have it. What do you think about the
apparition that little Kayden observed, which she identified as Sandra Hughes,
even down to the color of her hair, which was

(44:01):
dyed blue when she went missing. Is it possible that
Sandra's spirit is attempting to communicate with a living in
a desire that remains be found and her friend and
loved ones have closure. It certainly appears that way. And
what about the two other times she was spotted by
Hi Christ Was that actually her or was that an apparition?

Speaker 5 (44:24):
I mean, anyway, fall man, we lost my two year
old Glands that walk me the ones my dad. We
can't find him. Three year old Glands him Hey there
window here, Paul says, are you the heir your own? Yeah,
he's free, Okay. The girls come to the house and

(44:46):
left him there, and he's walked both somewhere and we
can't find him. And even then I know you're not
there in the house. Now all that dials hill okay,
and how long do you know he brought in there's
voice a minute because we've been looking at it all
in the woods for him. And then behind your directly
behind your house, yeah, well on the side. Yeah, and

(45:09):
then a white fla he was, you know, and he
was wearing probably a black little coat, a black coat. Yeah, okay,
do you do this? You do this? Where we go? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (45:26):
He had the.

Speaker 5 (45:28):
Yeah, thanks us. Okay, he said about forty five minutes ago. Yeah, okay,
all right, is it a big area of wood behind
your house? Yeah, it's pretty big. I think he've been
out there looking for him. Yeah, yeah, okay, all right,
we got it there, but he had to see Okay.
And you said forty five minutes directly behind your house

(45:50):
or a side yeah, okay, you see said we have
some said it that way. Okay, okay, thank you, thank you.

Speaker 1 (46:00):
Hello, friends, Steve's talking here with you in this video.
We're going to discuss children who claim to have been
saved by bears in the while. Join me, let's walk
and see. But before we begin, at least take a moment.
Make sure you're subscribed. Notification bell is on, and also
you click join come a member of the channel as

(46:22):
exclusive members only perks. Now throughout this channel and across
this community, we've seen many strange things that have gone
on in the woods all across the world. There are times, though,
when things happen that just can't be explained rationally or reasonably,
despite seeming to be backed up by documentation and in
some cases even factual evidence. We've discussed everything from ferries

(46:46):
in the woods and people who have gone missing under
strange and unusual circumstances, sometimes in front of witnesses. But
every once in a while we come across something so
incredibly strange that it's hard to imagine and actually have
happened at all. However, today we're going to discuss something
unimaginably strange that it is said to have happened not only once,

(47:07):
but twice. And while there are some facts and witness
statements to make one think these things are really happening
out there, it's still, of course up to you to
decide what you want to believe at the end of
the day. One day, way back in June of seventeen
eighty three, a four year old girl from Warren, New
Hampshire named Sarah Witcher wanted to go with her parents

(47:27):
to visit her uncle. Her uncle lived on a tall
hill right behind their house, and for whatever reason, Sarah's
parents didn't want her to go with them, no matter
how much Sarah begged and pleaded with them, though, they
refused to allow her to go and assured her they
would only be gone a short time and she would
be perfectly fine in the care of her older siblings
until their return. However, it turns out that they were wrong,

(47:52):
and due to some kind of miscommunication. When her parents returned,
the older siblings, who were supposed to be watching little Sarah,
ask why she hadn't turned with them. What came next
was something that would be imprinted in New Hampshire history
for centuries, but also the mystery of what happened to
Sarah that day so long ago would live on forever
in the minds of those of us who study strange

(48:14):
things in the woods. So let's take a look at
what allegedly happened on a sunny day in June many
many years ago when Sarah's siblings asked where she was
and why she hadn't returned with the parents. Obviously, Sarah's
mother and father were immediately panic. They sorted through the
details with their siblings, and it didn't take long for
everyone to realize that no one was watching Sarah and

(48:35):
that she had wandered off somewhere. An immediate search party,
including the family and their friends and neighbors in the community,
quickly turned into something much larger when dozens of people
from all over the surrounding areas descended upon Warren to
help search for the lost four year old. On the
second day of the search reported back to the Witchers
with some frightening news. Tracts believed to belong to Sarah

(48:58):
were found deep in the wilderness behind the home, but
falling directly behind hers were the tracks of a large bear.
This was terrible news, and the family came to the
conclusion in their heads that it was more than likely
their precious little girl was deceased. Everyone involved was disheartened,
but it didn't slow down the search one bit, as
now they were determined to at least recover Sarah's remains.

(49:22):
It was decided among the community of searchers that if
Sarah were to be found alive after all, whover found
her would fire three shots from their rifle into the
air The situation was a grim one, but Sarah's parents
and siblings couldn't help but keep at least some hope
that Sarah would be found alive and well. Despite how
minuscule the odds of that happening were, searchers continued in

(49:44):
their efforts for days on end, refusing to leave Sarah
to the elements and wildlife of the dense forest. On
the fourth day of the search, an expert wilderness woodsman
from nearby Portsmouth, New Hampshire arrived and joined the now
exhausted search parties who were still out looking for Sarah.
Only a few hours later that the townspeople all heard
the signal three shots fired into the air. Sarah had

(50:06):
not only been found, but was apparently alive and well.
But what had happened to her and one of the
bear tracks discovered following so closely behind her most of
the way. The expert woodsman from Plymouth, who was still
a stranger to the community and Sarah's family, was now
also a hero, and he happily returned Sarah directly to
her mother's arms, as the rest of the community looked

(50:26):
on with tears of joy in their eyes and pairs
of thanks On their lips. Everyone was eager to know
what had happened to the little girl, and she was
more than happy to oblige them with her miraculous and
now legendary tale. Sarah began by explaining that when her
parents wouldn't allow her to go with them to visit
her uncle, she became bored and decided to wander around
picking wildflowers. Somehow, while walking along, her feet had been

(50:51):
cut and began to bleed. Suddenly, as Sarah tried to
figure out what to do, as now her feet were
injured and hurting and she still needed to get back home,
a bit emerged from the woods. The little girl was
immediately scared, but soon realized that bear seemed more curious
than menacing, and so she stood there and did nothing
as the animal approached her. According to Sarah, the bear

(51:13):
walked right up to her, licked her in essence giving
her a kiss, and then laid down right there at
her feet. Sarah somehow immediately took this to mean she
was to lay down and use the bear as a
warm and comfortable bed for the night. The only other
thing Sarah said to have revealed was that the bear
simply stayed with her either in that one spot or
in the forest in general, and didn't leave her side

(51:34):
until rescuers finally approached to bring her back out of
the woods and reunite her with her family. Sarah went
on to live a normal life Mary and have children
of her own. It said she entertained others with her
curious tale for many years after, and, as with any legend,
be it fashion or completely made up, the miraculous story
took on many extra parts throughout the centuries. Some very

(51:56):
common additions are that the stranger who found Sarah had
been followed a vision of some kind, and yet in
other retellings of the story, the prayers from the townspeople
and Sarah's family were so fervent in earnest that that's
what actually brought Sarah back and let her being found
safe and sound. It's even sometimes said that Sarah told
her parents quote the great black Dog had kept her

(52:18):
safe and warm at night end quote. Of course, these
things can't possibly be proven, but aren't known to be
a part of Sarah's original retelling of the story. A
man named William Little went out and researched the story,
and using only accounts that were allegedly eyewitnesses to the
event wrote the book History of Warren, a hamlet located
along the White Hills of New Hampshire. This is one of,

(52:40):
if not the only, book that's said to tell the
true story in the words of those who were there
that day. In its entirety, well, there's not much to
this story. It's still pretty miraculous and some would say unbelievable.
Knowing what we know, and considering everything we've learned about
the missing in the woods and things many have alleged
to have experienced while out there, this could very well

(53:02):
have happened. After all, Sarah is not the only child
to allege a bear or otherwild animal help protect them
and keep them safe while they were scared and lost
in the wilderness for days on end. House would these
small children have survived, and why or how would they
even come up with such strange tales if they weren't
at least partially true to begin with. Maybe Sarah's story

(53:23):
is a bit too old for some to believe it
is anything more than a local myth or urban legend.
If that's the case, however, it's completely understandable because these
things do have a way of taking on a life
of their own after some time. It seems to still
be happening to this day. We've discussed some more recent cases,
like two year old id to make Curtis, who in

(53:43):
nineteen fifty five went missing in Montana's coot and Eye
for Us. She was lost for two whole days, and
the entire time the weather had been pouring rain, but
she was found safe and sound, no worse for the wear.
She adamantly insisted that it was a big bear that
he kept her safe and that cared so well for
her during the entire time she'd been gone. In even
more recent years, in twenty nineteen, a three year old

(54:06):
named Casey Hathaway went missing in the wilderness near his
grandmother's home in North Carolina, and told a very similar
story when he was rescued. Here's his story, which some
say is similar to the others in that it is
very nonspecific as to what he and his companion did
for days in the woods together, and only get his
mentions to the fact that an animal, in this case
also a bear, miraculously went against its very nature in

(54:29):
order to protect and perhaps save a human child. On
January twenty third, twenty nineteen, little Casey Hathaway and was
playing with a couple of his older cousins and his
great grandmother's backyard, but when the others came inside, Casey
wasn't with them. His family searched for him for approximately
forty five minutes, hoping to find him on their own,
but when they had no luck, they called the Craven

(54:51):
County Sheriff's Department on the phone with a nine to
one one dispatcher. His grandmother reported, he was walking in
the woods back there and we can't find him. The
other ones come through the house but left him there,
and he walked off somewhere and we can't find him.
The next two nights were filled with freezing cold temperatures,
pouring rain, and having winds. With the search and rescue
teams and volunteers, along with Casey's family never gave up.

(55:14):
Both the FBI, US Marine Corps, dozens of volunteers, plus
search and rescue teams from across the state came together
to help find the missing toddler. Three days after he
had last been seen in the backyard, the neighbor of
his grandmother was out walking her dog and heard a
loud cry coming from some nearby bushes approximately forty yards
from the road. When the neighbor went over to investigate,

(55:37):
she found little Casey Hathaway alive and seemingly well, except
that he was crying and tangled up in some thorn bushes.
The authorities and Casey's family were immediately notified and he
was rushed to the hospital, where he was described as
being in surprisingly good condition, though Casey didn't have much
to say about what he had done and where he
had been. According to David McFadden of the Craven County

(56:00):
Sheriff's Office, who told CNN and other news outlets who
were seeking information, quote, he made a comment about having
a friend while he was in the wood. His friend
was a bear. In the emergency room, he started talking
about what happened in the woods, and he said he
had a friend that was a bear with him while
he was in the woods. End quote. While Major and
McFadden admitted there were bears in the woods in the county,

(56:23):
he said there was no way to prove one way
or the other that one had been with Casey during
the time he was missing. He went on to say
that all that battered was that there was something there
to comfort the little boy. Throughout the ordeal, Major McFadden
was also quoted as saying, we are very pleased he
had that type of comfort. There were very brutal conditions
out there. The first night had dropped down to twenty degrees.

(56:44):
The second night we had two inches of rain. Casey
requested and is said to have absolutely devoured some of
his favorite foods while at the hospital, including Cheetos and
chicken McNuggets. Aside from a few bruises, cuts and scrapes,
Casey was in good condiction and was happy to be
reunited with his family. While we may never really know

(57:05):
what happened to any of these children and at least
a handful of others that have claimed to have been
protected and cared for by some unusual wildlife out in
the woods, it definitely makes for much more than just
an interesting story. In this community. Sometimes it's hard to
take things that face value, but there are some who
believe cases like these and others, especially when it comes
to small children who have no reason or incentive to

(57:26):
lie about such things, that we need to read between
the lines. Could it be that actually bears came out
of the woods and went against their very nature in
order to protect and rescue at times, even to care
for these little and otherwise helpless human children for days
on end. Could it be there's something else at play here,
and if so, what is it, what could it possibly be,

(57:47):
and what interest does it have in human children? Some
people believe that perhaps whatever the entities are, they simply
appear to small children in the form of a bear,
due to the fact that there's so many bear in
popular children's story books and fairy tales. This is all,
of course speculation, and we most likely will never know
the real answers, but it is certainly something for us
to consider and think about. One more interesting thing to

(58:09):
be added about Sarah Witcher and her incredible tale of
rescue survival in the woods. The New Hampshire Historical Society
has recently added, mainly due to requests made by First
and Second Greatest at Dublin Christian Academy. There are two
hundred and seventy fifth historical highway marker in honor of
the little girl who was said to be saved by
a bear all those years ago. The markers in accordance

(58:29):
with the tale as told by Elizabeth Yates and reads
in part quote the local man joined the search after
dreaming three times that Sarah would be found under a
pine limb near Barrybrook, guarded by a bear. His dream
proved to be true. Sarah was found as he stated,
and she told rescuers that a great black dog had
kept her each night. End quote. Yet more elements added

(58:51):
to the long and ever evolving story of three year
old Sarah Witcher and her bear. Hello friends, Steve Stalkton
here with you. Welcome to a brand new episode twenty
twenty four. In this video, we'll take a look at
hitchhikers who went missing. Join me, let's walk and see now.

(59:16):
They say the road less traveled holds the greatest mysteries,
and out there on the roughly four point two million
miles of roads and highways throughout the USA, that couldn't
be more true. Every night, as the world sleeps, the
highway becomes a stage for vanishing acts. It's as if
the darkness itself has an appetite devouring hitchhikers without a trace.

(59:41):
Let's discuss some cases in which the following individuals were
offered a ride to their destination, never to be seen again.
Vocal up, this is going to be a strange one.
First up, we have Mitch Weiser and Bonnie Bickwit. Mitchell Weisser,
age sixteen, also known as Mitch, and his fourteen year

(01:00:01):
old girlfriend, Benita Mara Bickwitt, also known as Bonnie, reported
missing after being seen hitchhiking along a highway in Narrowsburg,
New York. They were heading northwest towards a town called
Watkins Glen, one hundred and seven miles away. The date
was Friday, July twenty seventh, nineteen seventy three, and the
couple were desperately attempting to hitchhike their way to the

(01:00:24):
Watkins Glenn Summer Jam Concert. The concert was a huge affair,
posting performances by The Almond Brothers, The Grateful Dead, The Band,
and many other popular artists of the time. Approximately six
hundred thousand individuals were in attendance of the concert, earning
it a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

(01:00:46):
Out of the massive crowd that numbered well over half
a million, only two individuals managed without a trace, Bonnie
Bickwit and Mitch Weisser. No one has seen or heard
from them since they attended and participated in the event.
Mitch was a resident of the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn,
New York, and had initially intended to go to the

(01:01:06):
concert with his friend Larry Marion. However, due to Larry's
mother's restrictions, Mitch asked Bonnie to join him instead. Bonnie
and Mitch had been together for about a year when
he decided to take time off from his summer internship
at a photography studio in Coney Island to attend the event.
He was determined not to miss it. He was overjoyed

(01:01:29):
when Bonnie, who had been a parents' helper at Camp
Wilmot during the summer in the Catskill Mountains, decided to
join him. She had attended the camp as a child
and cherished her time there. However, when her boss would
approve her time off to go to the concert with Mitch,
she quit on the spot and told him she would
be back after the concert to collect her personal belongings

(01:01:50):
and final paycheck. With worried expressions, Mitch's mother, Shirley and
his sister Susan pleaded with him to reconsider attending the concert.
Both of them strongly believed it was a poor decision,
yet he refused to change his mind and was determined
to go. Charley stepped in and offered him some money
to cover his travel expenses there and back. At that moment,

(01:02:14):
Mitch was already making his way out the door. It's
unclear if he didn't hear or if he was purposely ignored. Heer,
but with only twenty five dollars in his pocket, he
left without a second glance and never returned. He would
never step foot inside his home again. Mitch rode a
bus to Nearrisburg and then hopped on another one to
camp Well Met, where he arrived around midnight on Thursday.

(01:02:38):
By this point he was almost completely broke. He made
sure to call his mother and sister to let them
know it he arrived safely, but also that he had
very little money left. His mother and sister were understandably
worried and tried once again to convince him not to go,
but Mitch assured him that he would be fined and
promised to see them when he returned home. On Sunday

(01:03:00):
was a hitchhike one hundred and fifty miles northwest so
he could attend the outdoor concert with Bonnie. After spending
the night at their campsite, they had breakfast on Friday morning,
before embarking on what they thought would be an exciting adventure.
A caneman in a pickup truck offered them a ride
back to Narrisburg, and they gratefully accepted before making their

(01:03:20):
way to Highway ninety seven. Using a homemade cardboard sign,
they hitchhiked and asked for a ride to the concert.
When the truck driver glanced back one last time, Little
did he know that it would be the final confirmed
sighting of the two teenagers. As Sunday night passed without
a call or appearance from Mitch as he promised, his
family grew increasingly concerned of the next day. They were

(01:03:44):
filled with worry and dialed camp Well met to speak
with Bonnie. With their dismay, they discovered that Bonnie also
did not return on Sunday and no one had heard
from her either. Susan and Sidney Wiser, Mitch's sister, and father,
drove all the way to Watkins Glen the search for
the two teenagers, while Mitch's mother surely waited anxiously at home. Meanwhile,

(01:04:06):
Donnie's parents, Theodore and Ray, were unaware of their daughter's
disappearance since they were vacationing in Cape God. Upon hearing
the devastating news, they rushed to Camp well Met. Without hesitation,
they reported their daughter's missing, hoping for assistance and finding her. However,
their hopes were quickly dashed as the police brushed off
their concerns and chalked it up to another pair of

(01:04:28):
teenagers who'd run away after attending a concert. Just three
days before her disappearance, Donnie had sent a letter to
her parents. In it, she expressed her happiness at Camp
well Met and how much she valued the freedom she
had there. She also mentioned that when she returned home,
she hoped her parents would give her more space to
grow and travel. This last part gave them hope that

(01:04:51):
perhaps she had gone on a trip and would contact
them soon. After the authorities refused to help with any
investigation into their missing children, both Bonnie and Mitch's parents
decided to let them explore their freedom for a while.
They waited patiently for school to start again, hoping their
kids were just traveling on their own. However, when neither

(01:05:12):
of them showed up for the first day of school,
all the parents feared the worst. Described as a sweet
boy with shouldered, linked hair pulled back into ponytail, tortoise
show glasses, and hazel eyes. Mitch was known for his
love of baseball, his girlfriend, Bonnie, photography, and The Grateful Dead.
Even named his dog Casey Jones after one of the

(01:05:33):
band's classic songs. His friends admired him for being courageous
and rebellious. According to his sister Susan, he was a
talented and gifted individual. She kept a box filled with
her brother's belongings as a memento for the brother she
loved dearly but lost too soon. Among the items in
the box are his old tortoise show glasses, his poetry

(01:05:55):
ticket stubs from the nineteen sixty nine Mets World series,
trading card from the nineteen sixty four and sixty five
New York World's Fair, and a large birthday card made
by Mitch's friends on his fifteenth birthday. At just four
feet and eleven inches, Bonnie was a petite young girl,
weighing around ninety pounds. She had a face full of

(01:06:16):
freckles and long brown hair. Her close friends often referred
to her as a free spirited individual with a sweet disposition,
sharp intellect, strong determination, and fearlessness. Music was one of
her passions, and she particularly adored the Almond Brothers band.
Bonnie was a student in gifted classes, and instead of

(01:06:37):
going to traditional high school, she chose to attend the
experimental John Dewey High School. That's where Mitch and Bonnie
first crossed paths and bonded over their shared to academic successes.
With impressive GPAs and ambitious plans for the future, it
seemed unlikely that they would simply vanish without a trace.
To make matters more suspicious, they had secretly exchanged wedding,

(01:07:00):
leading the police to believe that they may have deliberately
disappeared together. Even after six weeks of no contact, the
police remained doubtful and dismissed the disappearance of the simple
teenager runaways. Frustrated by their lack of action, the parents
of both missing teenagers took matters into their own hands
and launched independent investigations, regardlessly working to bring attention to

(01:07:23):
the case. In nineteen seventy three, despite the passionate police
for these two disressed families, investigators from three different counties
in New York chose to ignore their crist for help
and refused to launch an official investigation despite assurances from
the NYPD that they would inform other agencies nationwide about
the missing teens. They failed to do so. As a result,

(01:07:46):
the Slovan County Sheriff's Office also neglected to help investigation
on the case. On the twenty fifth anniversary of the
disappearance of the teenagers, Bonnie's sister, Sheryl Kagan, decided to
launch an investigation to find uncovered the truth behind her
sister and Mitch's fate. Her dis May, she discovered that
the original case files, notes through investigators, dental records, and

(01:08:10):
a list of potential witnesses had all been lost by
both the Salvan County Sheriff's Office and the NYPD's Missing
Persons Squad. As a result, crucial information was not entered
into the FBI's National Crime Information Center. A former detective
from Sullivan County named Anthony Suarez confessed that he had
been assigned to the case in nineteen ninety four, but

(01:08:31):
never attempted to contact the original investigator or make any
effort to solve the mystery of Bonnie and Mitch's disappearance.
Anthony Suarez passed away in May of twenty twenty. Now
in the year two thousand, a man came forward with
a remarkable tale. Unfortunately, it was never confirmed and the

(01:08:52):
man has since passed away. In summary, he claimed to
have hitchhiked with Bonnie and Mitch, who were desperately trying
to get home from a concert that couldn't reach. They
were supposedly picked up by an orangeb W bus, but
the driver pulled over when things got too intense. The
group stopped at the Susquehanna River for a swim, but unfortunately,

(01:09:12):
both Mitch and Bonny were swept away by the strong current.
The driver left, but promised to contact the police, so
the other hitchhikers saw no need to do so himself. Eventually,
he did meet with investigators at his own expense, and
now the police believe his story is the most likely
explanation for what happened to the missing teens. Nevertheless, the

(01:09:34):
families remained doubtful and are waiting to hear from the
driver or any other potential witnesses. However, despite their efforts,
no one has stepped forward with any information about the incident.
This case remains unsolved. Next up, we have the case
of Jojo Delard. On November ninth, nineteen ninety five, twenty

(01:09:57):
one year old Jojo Delard left her home in Callan County,
Kilkenny to take a bus to Dublin, where she was
supposed to meet up with friends. After spending the afternoon
at Brooksville's Pub on Grafton Street, she planned to take
the bus back home around ten pm. However, she missed
the last bus of the night and had to board
a different one that would take her somewhat close to

(01:10:19):
her find her destination in nas County, kill Dare. With
no other plans for the evening, she hopped off that
bus and began hitchhiking. This was a common occurrence at
the time. After hitch hiking her first ride to Moon,
Jojo called a friend from a fai phunt. She promised
to be home soon, as someone had just pulled over

(01:10:41):
and offered her a ride while she was making the call.
As soon as she hung up, she presumably got into
the car and was never seen or heard from again.
Even though her family continuously asked for updates and assistance,
the police initially refused to provide any help. They believed
Jojo voluntarily disappeared and would reappear on her own eventually.

(01:11:03):
During the evening, when Jojo Delard disappeared. A truck driver
claimed he saw a young woman running naked through Moon.
The driver and his boss were traveling through the area
at the time and spotted the visibly distressed woman, but
they did not stop to offer assistance. They did, however,
call the police and were promised that someone would immediately
go to the location and investigate. The driver claimed that

(01:11:26):
he later learned the woman was not Jojo, and authorities
confirmed that it was actually from one else now. The
murder of Jojo was only recently declared by authorities, and
now the police are searching for any traces of her mains.
The case was reopened a few years ago and the
Police Service of Ireland issued a statement to the public.

(01:11:46):
In JoJo's family they now believed she was a victim
of homicide and that her cause of death was most
likely due to violent means. This case is filled with
an extraordinary amount of information, largely to the relentless effort
of JoJo's family, particularly her devoted sister. They've taken upon
themselves to investigate the case, feeling let down by the

(01:12:09):
authorities from the get go, hiring investigators and following leeds
has become their own responsibility. Despite all their efforts, the
truth behind Jojo Delarde's disappearance remains elusive and sadly, she
is not the only young woman to go missing in
that area. Next, we have Jamie Herdman at only twenty

(01:12:30):
six years old. Jamie Herdman was a skills chef from Facatone,
New Zealand. He had failed to work at a furniture
removal company in Broome, Western Australia when he disappeared. During
his free time, Jamie poured his passion into renovating a
Nissan utility van that he dreamed of taking for a
cross country trip across Australia. After completing his project and

(01:12:52):
waiting for the perfect moment, Jamie finally set off on
his long awaited road trip. Jamie's family reported missing on
December five, two thousand and six, when they couldn't reach
him during his trip. An investigation was launched and authorities
discovered that Jamie was last seen hitchhiking at Dally Waters,
approximately three hundred and seventeen miles from Darwin, where his

(01:13:13):
family believed he was headed. His van, which had a
history of overheating, was quickly located abandoned near a roadhouse
on Stuart Highway. Inside the unlocked van, authorities found Jamie's clothes, phone,
credit cards, toothbrush and some cash. However, his keys were missing.
In November of two thousand and six, Jamie made the

(01:13:35):
unusual decision to travel through the center of Australia on
his way to Dally Waters. His brother Karl, described this
as bizarre. Jamie was an avid fisherman, leading his family
to believe that he would have more likely chosen route
along the coast. However, Carl reported that Jamie had left
Broom suddenly and without informing anyone, not friends, family, or

(01:13:56):
even his employer. The family suspected that Jamie may received
a warning from a friend about someone who was after
him or planning to harm him in some way. Everyone
held on to the hope that Jamie was simply unaware
of the search efforts to find him, and that he
was out there somewhere continue his journey and still safe.

(01:14:17):
There was also the possibility that he had become stranded
in a remote Aboriginal community, cut off from the rest
of civilization due to severe flooding. But as more time
passed without any word from Jamie, it became increasingly unlikely
that he would be found alive. Despite extensive search efforts
on land and in the air, no trace of Jamie

(01:14:37):
or any clothes I SAOs whereabouts have ever been discovered.
He remains missing to this day, along with many others
who have traveled through the isolated Australian outback and never
returned home. And finally, Joshua Jones. Joshua Jones, a twenty
nine year old man from Hurst Rise in matt Locke, Derbyshire, England,

(01:14:59):
left his home on December twelfth, twenty twenty, at approximately
eleven thirty. He told his wife Talia that he was
going to the pharmacy and would be back soon. Before leaving,
he kissed his two year old son and wife goodbye,
but never return. At around noon, CCTV footage captured Joshua
at a department store and then later at a nearby

(01:15:20):
Sainsbury grocery store. Witnesses supported seeing him hitchhiking on the
A six thirty two towards Chesterfield at around four pm.
Prior to his disappearance, Joshua had texted his wife saying
I love you to the moon and back. This mysterious
vanishing led to both reports to the police about potential
sightings of Joshua. However, no one has been able to

(01:15:42):
locate him since. When he disappeared, he'd been wearing a
gray super dry jacket and blue jeans. The sleeves of
the coat were light colored and the inside was green.
Other identifying features include a Japanese inspired tattoo on his
right arm featuring a dragon, a koi f and a crane.
On his left wrist, there was a tattoo in Tallia's

(01:16:03):
handwriting that read to the Moon and back with a
red rocket and runes surrounding a moon inside. Despite the
efforts of authorities, including drone searches, mountain rescue teams, and
a helicopter, Joshua Jones could not be found, nor any
information about his disappearance. There are no leeds or evidence
in this case. His wife claimed that she wasn't surprised

(01:16:25):
that he couldn't be seen on CCTV footage because there
were only cameras in central matlock Dahlia also mentioned that
her and Joshua had often talked about leaving society behind him,
building a treehouse to live in. During the pandemic and lockdowns,
Joshua struggled with feeling trapped and anxious, He refused to
seek medical help, believing time would heal his wounds. Eliat

(01:16:48):
remains hopeful that her husband is still alive and possibly
living in the wilderness, as he was skilled in survival
and loved the outdoors. Now, there is no record explaining
the reason that he would have had to possibly leave
his wife and sun behind intentionally. However, the day before
he vanished, his card broken down, and both he and
Italian were concerned about the expenses of getting it fixed

(01:17:08):
and how that would affect plans to purchase Christmas gifts.
On top of that, rent was due and they had
yet to shop for their holiday meal. Tellia speculates that
the stress of their life together may have pushed him
to flee. Unfortunately, there is no further information on this case,
and Joshua Jones remains missing. The strange disappearance of Eric Sears.

(01:17:33):
On July fourteenth, two thousand and four, friends and recent
graduates of Carlsbad High School in California, seventeen year olds
Eric Sears and Ben Fogelstrom decided to go on a
camping trip together in Joshua Tree National Park. The two
of them showed up to their campsite in jumbo rocks
and we're just having a good time. They were turned
away from the Sanya Sinto due to wildfires. Around noon

(01:17:57):
is when investigators believe the two boys became separated. Teams
of searchers were told that Eric became dehydrated and Ben
went to go and find some water. Erk stayed behind
and curled up underneath a picnic bench to try and
rest in the shade until Ben returned. When Ben came back,
he couldn't find Eric anywhere and became panicked. Some other

(01:18:18):
campers came across him high is still unclear and brought
him into the park office to report the disappearance of
Eric at around four to forty the next afternoon. The
search of a twenty square mile area of the park
began at six pm that evening. There's an intensive search
and rescue operation. Parks SAAR teams scattered the area with
help from various law enforcement teams, and as of Sunday

(01:18:40):
there were one hundred and seventy searchers in total, but
by Monday, the number of searchers had dropped to forty
because the volunteers had to return to work. The search
included tracking dogs, horses, a helicopter, fixed wing planes, and
climbers who looked in rock crevices where he could have fallen.
Robert Fonda, one of the parks leads trackers, said the

(01:19:01):
search was difficult because it had taken place in one
hundred plus degree heat every day, because the terrain varied
from really flat to boulder outcroppings where the footing is perilous.
He stated, we've been working a lot in the back
areas and making sure that some teams didn't miss anything.
You can't speculate about what may have happened, You just
have to search. Searchers did find some of Eric's shoe prints,

(01:19:24):
and the dogs were able to pick up his scent,
but none of it enabled them to determine where he
was going. Eric was described as in top physical condition.
He ran cross country for four years in high school
and even traveled to Australia two years earlier with other
state runners. As an adult, he also participated in a
twenty four hour relay race between Carlsbad and El Camino

(01:19:46):
High Schools at Carlsbad July tenth and eleventh to promote
the sport and help raise money. Unfortunately, all would not
end well. Eric's body was found on July twenty third,
because of death couldn't be determined by autopsy because that
time it was too badly decomposed. There was no obvious
trauma found anywhere on the body. This is when the

(01:20:09):
investigators turned to the only person who was with him
that night for answers. The rest of the story was
told by Ben to the authorities. It's strange, to say
the least. Here's what Ben said had happened leading up
to the disappearance, though he admitted to authorities during this statement,
but he was having trouble distinguishing what actually happened from
hallucinations he was certain he was having due to his

(01:20:30):
and Eric's partaking in a wildly grown, illicit but not
illegal in the state of California substance the night before.
His report was oftentimes conflicting and all over the place.
He told authorities both he and Eric had drank a
tea made from a certain weed. He claimed he remembered
speaking to a bush an Indian, and possibly to Eric.

(01:20:52):
He said he was pretty sure his friend was deceased
because he thought he remembered disposing of his body. He
also couldn't tell authorities exactly see how Eric had gone
missing or ended up deceased, depending on which story Ben
was recounting at the time. However, two chemicals toxins found
in this plant were found in Eric's brain tissue. One

(01:21:13):
way or another, the use of this plant by Ben
and Eric was a major contributing factor in Eric's death.
The plant known as gemsen weed, local weed, stink weed,
mad apple, thorn apple are among the street names for
the foul smelling Datura stramonium plant. It is one of
a group of plants known as Belladonnas notarius. Tremonium is

(01:21:33):
a common weed found along roadsides, in cornfields, pastures, and
waste areas. It's been reported to grow widely in all
but two states, by only in Alaska. Although it's not
popular on the street, it is usually used by teenagers
curious about the plants hallucinogenic and yourphoric effects. Although something
adolescents might use with their peers, all parts of the

(01:21:55):
plant are toxic and usage can result in serious illness
or death. It can take up to hours for someone
to feel the plant's effects, so people often consume excessive amounts,
believing it's not working. Since it's growing wild. The ponency
is impossible to predict. The toxicity even varies by year,
between plants, parts of the plant, and even among different

(01:22:17):
leaves on the same plant. Even just a small amount
of it ingested can cause nausea, headache, severe agitation, hallucinations,
behavioral changes, and or delirium. Annually, poison control centers deal
with approximately one thousand cases of poisoning by these plants.
Usage increases between May and September, when the plants are

(01:22:38):
mature and plentiful. The overwhelming majority of users report that
their experience is very unpleasant, physically dangerous, and sometimes terrifying.
Few people ever use it twice. Even a one time
usage can have tragic effects, such as in this case.
With all that being said, one may ask what is
the lure to experiment with the plant which seems have

(01:23:00):
no pleasant effects whatsoever. The effects have been described as
being in a living dream and can last for days.
It has extremely powerful psychoactive effects, including hallucinations, delusions, disorientation, confusion,
and panic. Doesn't sound like my idea of fun. Users
have no concept that anything they are talking to, seeing,

(01:23:21):
or running from isn't actually there. That's how intense. These
hallucinations can be where it's impossible to distinguish them from reality.
Oddly enough, some of the hallucinations are reported to have
recurrent themes, such as insects, cigarettes, people, or objects appearing
and disappearing, including demons and monsters. Smoking a phantom cigarette

(01:23:43):
is one of the most common hallucinations, even if the
individual has never smoked before. Talking to inanimate objects, plants,
and friends who are not present is also frequently reported.
Individuals lose their ability to identify their friends and may
not even recognize their own reflection in a mists. Individual
may also try to interact with these hallucinations. Most users

(01:24:06):
don't even realize that they're hallucinating until its effects were off.
Amnesia is also frequently reported, with users having no memory
of what they were doing for several hours, or they
may unconsciously replace fact with fantasy. They can fall in
and out of conscience, slip into delirium. It's believed that
this is what happened with There can be in while

(01:24:26):
they were out being typical teenagers that night in Joshua Tree.
Did they get in over their heads and one thing
lead to another? Did Eric dive an overdose I'm taking
too much, thinking the initial doses weren't effective or not
working for him, or was it something else all together? Unfortunately,
gyms and weeds related deaths are often a result of

(01:24:47):
impair judgment that leads to risk taking activities such as
believing you can fly and jumping off a cliff, or
chasing a mermaid in a lake even though you can't swim.
Are the above listed or nowhere near all the dangerous
effects this particular belladonna could have on the human brain
and psyche. So what happened to Eric Serius that faithful

(01:25:08):
night in two thousand and four when he had his
whole life ahead of him and was just looking to
have some fun with his friend in a beautiful place
the celebration of the Huge life milestone and graduating high school.
Eric was described by his peers as popular and friendly, and,
as mentioned before, was a member of the cross country team.
He had been accepted in the engineering program at San

(01:25:29):
Diego State University that was to begin classes that fall.
His death affected the whole community. According to an affidavit
file and super record in Indio. He provided several stories
of hallucinating during the night, with he being ben Fogustrom.
The community was heartbroken with the discovery of Eric's body
and with the seeming senselessness of it. On top of

(01:25:51):
it all, on the porch of the series' home, signs
with messages of hope, flowers and red and white and
blue candles formed while was to be a welcome for
the family when they returned. Parents Tom and Wendy Sears
have remained at the desert campground since shortly after their
son was reported missing. Officials said the Seers family was
in seclusion Friday night in nearby twenty nine Palms, and

(01:26:14):
that their daughter, Stephanie, aged nineteen, was en route to
join them. Many were expected to return later in the
evening to share prayers and light candles against the darkness
at the Seers home, something they have done not after
night this week. Neighbors and friends said the mutual support
provided by the small, close community has at times been
the only thing that carried them through more than a

(01:26:35):
week of waiting. Groups of neighbors who traveled daily to
Joshua Tree to help support the family. There was a
search warrant issued for Ben's Holme in hopes of uncovering
more information. According to this affidavit, investigators did give him
a lie detect your test, but we know that these
are faulty and not admissible in most courts. This was

(01:26:55):
while searchers were so looking for Eric in the Jostuh
Tree Park. According to the affidavit, Ben Tearrifory admitted during
an interview with detectives that he found Eric dead inside
his tent. He said that happened the day he reported
his friend as missing. This is also where he admitted
to disposing of Eric's body by putting an inside an
outhouse toilet at their campsite, but according to the affidavit,

(01:27:18):
that's when he wanted to stop talking to investigators and
then change the story altogether. Investigators say he later denied
dumping Eric's body in an outhouse and said that's not
where I put him. Investigators did indeed check several park toilets,
but searchers eventually found Eric's body lying in the middle
of the desert, about three miles from the Jumbo Rocks campground.

(01:27:40):
Sheriff's investigators tried hard to corroborate what Ben told them
about what happened while they were at the campsite, before, during,
and after they had consumed the plan. Whatever information was
given to us in the affidavit, investigators are looking into
it and looking at every scenario in the affidavit, they said.
But despite statements Ben apparently made in this Affidavid, the

(01:28:00):
Sheriff's department said he was not a suspect in the death.
They did say that he is still a focus of
their investigation as they tried to figure out exactly how
the seventeen year old ended up dead in the desert
at Joshua Tree. No one was ever charged of anything
in relation to the death of Eric Sears, and so
much of what happened remains a mystery. To make matters

(01:28:21):
worse and even more sad, two San Bernardino County Sheriffs
Search and Rescue volunteers on their way to help search
for Eric. A thirty five year old man named Joseph
Tidwell from Wonder Valley, who was allegedly under the influence
of several narcotic substances, lost consciousness due to his intoxication,
causing his truck to drift across the roadway directly into
the path of the Sheriff's man. Scott Johnson, thirty, of

(01:28:44):
Redlands died at the scene, Philip Calvert fifty eight of
mentone was transported to Desert Regional Medical Center with major
injuries and sadly died early the next morning. Although this
harmful plant isn't scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act, three states, Connecticut,
New Jersey, and Tennessee at this time have passed legislation

(01:29:06):
to control it. In addition, the FDA has asserted that
the beladonna alkaloids in this plant are neither safe nor
effective in over the counter or other cough and cold inhalos,
So be careful what you put into your body. Hello, friends,

(01:29:28):
in this video, going to take a look at Devil's
Hole and the tragic disappearance of two teens in nineteen
sixty five. Now, there's just something about a place with
the name devil in its title that pigs the curiosity
of some people. There are countless locations all over the
world which have this particular word in their name. Not

(01:29:52):
only devil, either, there are many other words that symbolize
or mean devil or evil, or some other form of
something not very good or beautiful, given somewhat ironically to
some of the world's most breathtaking and wondrous places. Sometimes
the location will have got its name innocantly enough, such
as because the geology of the place simply looks foreboding

(01:30:14):
and sinister, especially under the cover of night. Much of
the time, these particular places are said to be cursed, enchanted,
or downright evil, and the spooky and scary landscape only
lends credence to these rumors and legends. So much of
the time, though, these places with this particular word in

(01:30:34):
the title are associated with not just devils, demon spirits,
and other other worldly phenomena, but with real tragedies, disappearances, deaths,
maybe bizarre sounds and strange lights in the sky. Today, though,
we're going to focus on one place in particular. We're

(01:30:55):
a mysterious tragedy struck Devil's Whole, which is located in
the aptly named Death Valley National Park in California, United States.
This portion of the Mojave Desert contained in Death Valley
National Park is the driest and hottest place in the
United States. Near bad Water in the Long Trench of

(01:31:16):
the desert, between the Panamint Range on the west and
the Black Mountains on the east, is the lowest dry
land in the Western Hemisphere. An amazing two hundred and
eighty two feet below sea level. A veritable showcase of
desert extremes. Death Valley National Park includes one of the
largest salt pans on Earth, dramatically faulted landscapes, young volcanic craters,

(01:31:41):
and massive dune fields. Today, we're going all the way
back to the year nineteen sixty five. Death Valley was
very different from the Los Angeles of the time, where
there were uprisings happening all over the place and all
of it being shown live on the evening news. Valley, California,

(01:32:01):
was in one of the least populated parts of the
state at the time, and a whole different world from
the more largely inhabited cities which surrounded it. On June twentieth,
nineteen sixty five, four high school buddies set out to
remote desert location about ninety miles northwest of Las Vegas.
Their intent was to joydive into a deep geothermal abyss

(01:32:25):
called Devil's Hole. Sadly, two the young men would never
re emerge from this mysterious fossil water portal, arriving at
their destination, the forsome high cup of Hot Barren Hillsite,
which overlooked a large scale ranching operation that would nearly
erase a much smaller and nearly ancient complex called ash Meadows.

(01:32:47):
Within a few short years. A well trampled trail led
to the entrance of a limestone chasm that had allegedly
opened a whopping sixty thousand years ago after possibly some
seismic and caused the roof of the cave to collapse
in on itself. The Foursome of Boys, which was made
up of Paul gian Contery, a nineteen year old cafeteria

(01:33:09):
worker at the nearby Nevada test site, his new brother
in law, twenty year old David Rose, who was a
Las Vegas casino parking attendant, were with their other friend,
nineteen year old Bill Alter, and his younger brother Jack.
Boys scrambled under a fenced enclosure posted with warning signs,
and thinking they were immune to any trouble these warning

(01:33:31):
signs might be posted about, they proceeded to descend the
thirty or so feet down to a ledge where the
faint but flitting movement of tiny blue gray pupfish could
be observed swimming in the eight by sixty foot pool.
That is, if any of the four young men had
bothered to look just a bit closer at what they
were about to jump into. After suiting up with scuba tanks, masks,

(01:33:54):
and dive lights, Paul, David, and Bill dove into the
claustrophobic waters. The temperature was nearly indistinguishable from that of
their skin upon entering the pool. The boys most likely
disturbed the delicate algae's falling mats, where the entire population
of the exceedingly rare Cyprinodon diabolus continues to prosper and

(01:34:16):
breed exclusively. Jack was the only one who hadn't jumped in,
as he was delegated the one who would remain stationed
on the ledge in case anything went wrong. Some time
after midnight, Paul failed to resurface, so David and Bill
quickly redove into the waters in a vain attempt to
locate their missing friend. Bill Alter frantically followed David rose

(01:34:38):
down to approximately one hundred and seventy feet until David
too disappeared into the darkness. The bodies of the brothers
in law were never recovered. Many people believed back then
and still do believe that these young men were inspired
to go diving at night despite the dangers in the
specific place because of a newspaper article from the year before,

(01:34:58):
which detailed a spe leological research expedition of a massive
underground lake below Death Valley led by California based professional
diver Jim Houns, who would ironically dive numerous times around
the clock with military personnel and other volunteer divers in
their attempt to locate the missing men for thirty six
whole hours until the search was eventually called off. The

(01:35:22):
only traces left of the two brother in laws a
mask and a snorkel. There was also a flashlight tied
to allege some hundred feet below. It seemed to signal
and effectively the way out of the otherworldly underwater cave system.
Articles detailing the unsuccessful rescue effort were published nationwide in

(01:35:43):
the Sarasota Journal date of June twenty second, eighteen sixty five.
Out stated that he had previously dived in Devil's Hole
around three hundred times over twenty eight trips, further commenting
it's beautiful in there. It goes straight down one hundred
and sixty feet like a pipe, then opens into a
room that is about three hundred feet long and maybe

(01:36:04):
forty feet wide. The bottom of the room is about
two hundred and sixty feet down. Then it narrows into
another tube. I dive to three hundred and fifteen feet
Maybe that's a record, I don't know. But at the
end of the tube it opens again into something else.
We don't know what the next room is, or if

(01:36:24):
it's a room at all. It's like infinity. There are
some very terrifying legends from the native tribes of the
area about this particular place called Devil's Hole. The Timbasha
told tales of water babies who'd surface and swallow a
swimmer or dive or hole should they stay in the
pool for too long. Other legends suggested that so a Pizi,

(01:36:47):
a legendary malevolent giant who dwelled at mountain springs and caves,
would snatch into our unwary victims. Myths was standing. Barbara Durham,
an elder of the Tumbious who shared these stories at
a two thousand and two workshop, admitted that she and
her friends enjoyed how the pupfish tickled their toes when

(01:37:08):
they played in the spring. Keep in mind here that
the Devil's whole pupfish, as they're specifically named, are considered
by experts to be the rarest fish found anywhere on
the planet. They were even the first ever species to
be classified as endangered. The fish are not important to
the story at all, really, but it seemed worth mentioning

(01:37:28):
in order to reinforce how very special and perhaps a
bit magical this place actually is. As far as the
two young men who disappeared without a trace back in
this mystical and extremely dangerous underwater cave system decades ago, well,
they've never been found, and neither have any clues relating
to what could it possibly happen to them. As for

(01:37:51):
one more bit of interesting fact that could lend a
bit of credence as something a bit more sinister being afoot,
as the local tribes absolutely believe that this other serene
and tranquil looking water source. It said that Charles Manson
himself spent several days at Devil's Hole trying to figure
out a way to make it safely down into the chasm,

(01:38:13):
with some saying he was convinced he would never have
to come back up. Allegedly, he had an obsession with
the place and was convinced that there was an underwater
portal to an alternate dimension, or more specifically, a portal
to the underworld, where he felt he and his family
would be able to safely wait out the coming apocalypse.

(01:38:34):
He so famously predicted what happened that never actually did.
Charles Manson's problem lie in figuring out a way to
drain the hole, and it seemed like he may have
been given this idea by an alleged Indian legend that
resurfaced during the nineteen twenties, contending that a subterranean sect
of leather clad humanoids lived down within an early yellow

(01:38:56):
green lid a boat somewhere in the Mohave Desert.

Speaker 6 (01:39:01):
Says Bill planned on leaving the park before dark, and
when she still hadn't heard from him by Friday morning,
she called rangers, who launched a search effort that's.

Speaker 7 (01:39:10):
Grown an incredible story of survival.

Speaker 8 (01:39:12):
The hiker survived five days alone out in Joshua Tree.

Speaker 1 (01:39:18):
It all started on the last week of December in
twenty twelve. My mother and I were relaxing after work
watching TV when out of the corner of my eye,
I noticed movement in our hallway. When I turned to look,
I noticed two shadowy like figures that appeared on our
hallway wall. In disbelief of what I was saying, I
turned my head over towards my mother, and right as

(01:39:39):
I did, she made eye contact with me and simply said,
you see them, don't you? I said yes. She told
me not to acknowledge them, because they are entities that
consens fear. But in disbelief, I looked back over the
hallway wall and they were gone. A few days had
gone by, and my mother told me she felt a
sense of dread and said someone in our family is

(01:40:00):
going to pass away before the end of the year. Well,
on New Year's Eve twenty twelve, my mother and I
celebrated at home. We watched the movie Tron and had
a pizza delivered to ring in the new year. I've
always been a real mama's boy, so this was an
ideal way for me to spend my New Year's Eve.
Around eleven pm that night, we saw the two figures again.

(01:40:22):
This time we both experienced an overwhelming quietness and sense
of urgency and dread. We both did our best, ignored
and eventually the shadowy figures And since this went away,
we discussed the experience and again my mother told me
to never acknowledge them, and before I could press her
for more details, my mother started telling me how much
I meant to her and that I would go on

(01:40:43):
to do great things in my life. She loved me,
et cetera. She then got up and walked towards the kitchen,
turned around and said I love you, then fell to
the ground. I had previous EMT training and am certified
in CPR, so I dialed nine to one one and
explained to them my mother is in cardiac arrest and
I needed medical assistance asap. I was doing CPR on

(01:41:07):
my mother for nearly twenty minutes, and for anyone who's
ever done CPR, it's not easy. The MTS arrived at
eleven thirty eight pm and my mother was taken to
the emergency room. By this time, our neighbor and friend, Bonnie,
had rushed over to my house and drove me to
the hospital. When I checked in at the front desk,

(01:41:27):
I was taken to a small private room and the
physician told me that my mother had passed away. The
autopsy showed my mother suffered from a fatal heart attack
and her time of death was eleven fifty nine PM
on December thirty first twenty twelve, when I was taken
in to see her one last time. Her lips were blue.

(01:41:47):
She was cool to the touch, but she was still
my mom, so I just hugged her and couldn't let
go for nearly thirty minutes. Thankfully, my neighbor Bonnie was
there and gave me plenty of support and encouragement to
leave Eve as my mother would want me to stay strong.
Fast forward about six months after my mother died, I'd
quit my job and had become a recluse. I would

(01:42:10):
only leave my house to purchase groceries. I quickly realized
how severely depressed I was and decided it was time
to get away. I ended up traveling to Joshua Tree
National Park and decided it would be my getaway to
find some peace and closure. I notified my neighbor Bonny
not to worry that I'm just going on a day's
hike and would be back by midnight. When I arrived

(01:42:33):
at Joshua Tree, I parked my jeep and entered the
Lost Palms Oasis trail. After a few hours of walking
and hiking, I stopped to take a break and eat.
As I finished up and looked around. Nothing looked familiar,
and I, in fact was not on any trail. I
was not too worried and felt confident I would find

(01:42:54):
my way back. But as I made my way through
the desert landscape that I did not recall ever passing,
I started feeling like I was being watched. I started
to panic. Then I started hearing strange growling noises, but
could not determine from what direction they were coming from.
It almost seemed like they were all around me. So

(01:43:15):
I stood in one spot and made a three hundred
and sixty degree rotation. As I came to stop, I
saw something transparent, no defining shape, just to blur directly
in front of me that was coming closer and closer
to where I was standing. I quickly turned around and
started walking faster and faster in the opposite direction, and
then experienced the same overwhelming quietness and sense of urgency

(01:43:37):
and dread I had experienced with my mother just six
months prior. Then, all of a sudden, almost like a
snap of a finger, daytime turned into night. I wasn't
sure what was going on, but knew something wasn't right.
After walking round in the dark, I found myself by
a large rock about as big as a large suv
and felt safest there. I put my back against the rock.

(01:43:59):
This way, I felt no otherhing would sneak up behind me.
I used the knight to hydrate and eat some snacks
I brought. I remember trying to make sense out of
what I was experiencing, but knew that my mother and
I had already experienced something within our own home. But
at least when I was home, I felt safe here,
I was vulnerable and alone. As I tried to rest
that night, I started seeing a number of shadowy entities

(01:44:22):
walking around in the desert, almost as if they were
wandering around aimlessly. It freaked me out, and the more
I acknowledged them, the closer they got to me. At
one time during the night, I remember feeling something breathing
down my neck. Remember my back was against a huge rock.
I just closed my eyes and did my best to

(01:44:42):
keep them shut. The last thing I remember about that
night was opening my eyes and seeing three shadowy figures,
one at each side and one directly in front of me.
Then once again, in a snap, it was morning. I
would experience the same weirdness for two more days, until
the last day on the last day of me roaming
around Joshua Tree, I hadn't had any food or water

(01:45:05):
since the initial first night. I was scared and dehydrated.
I came upon another large rock and remembered in my
MT training that digging a hole near a rock in
the desert will keep you cool and less likely to
get severe sunburn. I did just that and thought to myself,
I'm literally digging my own grave. By the time I
laid down in the two foot arch hole I had

(01:45:27):
made and covered my chest and legs up of dirt,
I blacked out. I don't remember anything for the rest
of that day or night. The next morning, I was
woken by an off duty Search and rescue employee who
was literally making me choke on water. I remember him saying,
there are a whole lot of people out looking for you, buddy.
I was picked up by helicopter and taken a regional

(01:45:48):
medical center in Palm Springs, California. In the days during
my recovery, I saw two detectives, a number of psychiatrists,
and my neighbor Bonnie, who was there at the hospital
by my side one hundred percent away. The detectives wanted
to close the missing person's report my neighbor Bonnie made
the second day I was missing, But they asked me
strange questions like was I using a flare gun in

(01:46:10):
the area? No? And why had I purchased a large
amount of camping gear and survival materials prior to my hike.
I'm going for a hike. Strange questions to ask someone,
or maybe it's just me. The physician stated he thought
I was planning to myself due to the loss of
my mother, but honestly, that never crossed my mind. The

(01:46:31):
psychiatrist told me I didn't experience anything but hallucinations due
to the lack of food and water and effects of dehydration.
My neighbor Bonnie overheard my story and later confided in
me that she too experienced similar shadowy figures when she
hiked in Joshua Tree. When I arrived back home, she
used sage and other New Age methods to rid my

(01:46:52):
house of whatever darkness was there. However, it continued all
the way up until I moved to Tennessee in twenty fourteen.
The most aggressive was the transparent entities that were in
Joshua Tree. I felt like everything was about to end
when I encountered them. I've always wondered if my mother
experienced more than what happened that night. I'm not sure

(01:47:14):
what the hell happened those few days in Joshua Tree
National Park, but from what I can remember, during the
moments when daytime would turn into night and snap, I
felt like I was falling down or being suspended in
mid air before completely realizing what was going on. I
also remember a strong urge to go to Joshua Tree.
I would think about going all the time, and when

(01:47:35):
I finally went, almost felt like I was being called
there by something My sister often talks about my first
week living in Tennessee. She said that she felt like
a demon was attached to me. One night as I
slept on her couch. I woke up with her putting
holy water on my head and saying a prayer over me.
But I don't believe in all that I used to.

(01:47:57):
But nowadays I have an easier time believing in alien
abduction and portals rather than being followed around by demon.
But then again, who knows? Right. Finally, I can tell you,
with one hundred percent honesty, I experienced all the above.
I can't explain what it or what they were, but
I can tell you I feel like my life was

(01:48:17):
spared for some strange reason. Perhaps I didn't meet the
requirements for whatever it is they need. Looking back now,
I would never have gone hiking alone. But again I
remember this irresistible urge to go to Joshua Tree and
would frequently feel like I was being called.

Speaker 7 (01:48:36):
There hiking transitting on one of her most popular mountain peaks.

Speaker 8 (01:48:41):
A woman from out of state dying after trying to
hike Camelback Mountain. Fire official say she became overheated on
the Echo Canyon trail, but instead of waiting for rescue crews,
she went to find help herself. Then a deadly discovery.
Her body later found near the mountain, right outside a home.

Speaker 7 (01:48:57):
A woman found dead near Camelback Mountain was thanking with
a Phoenix cop, and tonight we know the woman's name
is Angela Tremonte, a thirty one year old visiting from Boston.
She was found dead Friday after separating from that cop
to turn back down the mountain in the summer heat.

Speaker 6 (01:49:12):
And she thought because he was a police officer, she
was sick and she wasn't. And I sent him the
address where it was it took them three hours to
find her. And when I talked to Dario that night
and asked him, when was the last time you saw
my daughter, she said six hours ago, So not you WT.

(01:49:33):
The police may not be investigating this, but I won't stop.
I will not stop. There is something missing that I,
as a mother, did not put my finger on.

Speaker 1 (01:49:48):
Hello friends, today we're going to bring in a strange
story about a first date hike that resulted in a
young woman's death. Thirty one year old Angela Tremonte was
visiting Phoenie, Arizona for the first time when she and
a local police officer named Dario Dizdar decided to go
on a hike for their first date. The couple went

(01:50:09):
to Echo Canyon Trail near Scottsdale, Arizona. Echo Canyon Trail
is a two point five mile heavily trafficked out and
back trail that offers scenic views and beautiful landscapes. The
trail is rated as difficult, but Angela and Dario weren't concerned,
as it was later reported that Dario was extremely familiar
with the mountain and hiked that exact trail often. According

(01:50:32):
to reports, they started hiking together around ten am with
no water, but split up. Dario, an off duty police officer,
stated that he was a local and did this hike
all the time, and that she was going to go
as far as she could and turn around, according to
an incident report followed by an unnamed park ranger. Now,
according to what Dario told the authorities, he and Angela
were going for a day hike together for their first

(01:50:53):
date on July thirtieth. He reported that she became overheated
when they were about halfway up the trail and told
them she was wanted to head back down to the car.
Dario wanted had to finish the hike, assuming he would
just meet her back at the vehicle when he was done.
Angela wanted him to take pictures of the view from
the top of the mountain so she could share them
on her social media camps. He finished his hike, but

(01:51:16):
when he got back down to the car, Angela wasn't
there and wasn't anywhere in sight. Her belongings were still
in the car, however, and this is when Dario's police
officer instincts kicked in and he decided to report it
to the authorities that his date was missing. Mark ranger
spoke with him on the mountain and the search commenced. Immediately,
search teams arrived and began looking around common areas on

(01:51:38):
the mountain where people can get off the trail and
get lost. More than thirty fire personnel and a police
helicopter scoured the region looking for the missing woman. Initially,
authorities were suspicious of Dario because they thought his initial
statement was changing the more he retold what happened that day. However,
it was later realized that he had been misquoted by

(01:51:59):
local news media and therefore misunderstood. A Phoenix police spokesperson
stated that the police department was not informed as to
what the park rangers and officials had already asked Dario
about the incident. Angela Tremonte was originally from the Boston
area and was visiting Phoenix for the first time, specifically
to meet and go on a date with Daria. They

(01:52:21):
had met and been chatting online, mainly by Instagram. It
was less than twenty four hours from her arrival that
Angela went missing and was then found deceased. Around four
Bruce found Tremonte unconscious near home along the side of
the mountain. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police

(01:52:41):
say no traumatic injuries were observed during the initial investigation
or during the autopsy. Police say Tremante had her cell
phone with her when she was found. Fire officials involved
in the search stated they believe she was trying to
signal to someone in the homes there near the mountain
to get some help. She must have known she was
in trouble, but most likely had no cell service to

(01:53:03):
call anyone for help or self. At this time, there
is no evidence to indicate foul play is suspected in
connection with her tragic death. Police say Dario Disdar has
been granted personal time off and has been offered resources
to deal with this tragedy. According to the Maricopa County
Medical Examiner's website, Angela died of environmental heat exposure. Her

(01:53:25):
death was ruled accidental by local and park authorities. Angela
Tremante's friends set up a gofund me account to bring
her body back to the Boston area. Angela's mother, however,
isn't satisfied with the medical Examiner's findings. She's looking for
answers after her daughter's cause of death was ruled to
be from accidental heat exposure. I'm frustrated, said Nancy Tremonte,

(01:53:49):
Angela's mother. My daughter was an Instagram person. She posted everything,
thousands of photos per day, and she was always in
the picture. And there's not one picture of her going
up the mountain or even in Arizona. She said, none
of it makes sense. But as we said, Americopa County
Medical Examiner's office did recently list Tremante's death as accidental

(01:54:13):
and as a result of heat exposure. Phoenix police had
previously stated investigators didn't find anything suspicious about Tremonte's death. However,
Tremante's family and friends have had suspicions about the circumstances
surrounding her death all along, especially since the off Deedy
police officer claimed he and Tremante didn't bring any water
with him on a hike in the middle of the summer.

(01:54:35):
Angela's cousin doesn't believe it. It's difficult because we are
all mourning her, but we can't fall back and be
sad about the situation. We all have to fight, said
Gabrielle Pletuccio, Angela's cousin. Angela was found deceased in a
backyard off the trail. Investigators believe she's in a desperate
search for water. Speaking about travel to Arizona to meet

(01:54:59):
the officer, she was excited but nervous, said her cousin.
She also made it a point to drink a whole
gallon of water every day, so it's very hard to
believe that she would go on a hike in Arizona
where it was one hundred and four degrees and not
take any water. Autopsy reports recently released by the County
Medical Examiner's office showed no major regularities that were uncovered

(01:55:21):
that would indicate Tremante's death could be tied to something
other than heat exhaustion. A toxicology report did show that
Tremante had traces of amphetamine in her system, Although her
family told twelve News she had a prescription for adderall,
which can produce high levels of amphetamine in the blood.
Ramonte had three hundred and fifty nanograms for leader of

(01:55:43):
amphetamine in her system at the time for death. According
to the report, adults who fatally overdose on amphetamine have
on average nine thousand nanograms per mole leader in their system.
Autopsy report additionally turned up irregular, linear, dried red abrasions
on Tremonte's body that ranged in size between four and
ten centimeters. An examination of her head neck revealed no

(01:56:07):
detectable abnormalities, according to the report. The report also stated
that Tremonte's bone, framework and soft tissues also appeared normal.
Phoenix Police had previously said investigators didn't find anything suspicious
about Tremonte's death. They further indicated no disciplinary measures will
be taken against Dario because no prime has been found.

(01:56:38):
Hello friends, Today we're going to take a look at legends, disappearances,
and stories of survival in Joshua Treat National Park, California.
Joshua Treat National Park is home to a vast and
protected land located in southern California. The area was first
designated as a National Monument in nineteen thirty six a

(01:56:59):
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and was later given national park
status in nineteen ninety four when the United States Congress
passed the California Desert Protection Act. The park spans more
than seven hundred and ninety thousand acres, and over half
is reserved as wilderness. The park is well known for
the tree that inspired its name, the Joshua Tree. Scientifically,

(01:57:22):
it's known as the Yuckup brevifolio and as a member
of the agave family. Joshua trees grow in a wide
variety of formations, from then a sparsely place to thick
and crowded forests. According to the National Park Service, of
the mid nineteenth century, Mormon immigrants had made their way
across the Colorado River and into the area that is
now the National park. Legend has it that these pioneers

(01:57:45):
named the tree after the biblical figure Joshua. Seeing the
limbs of the tree has outstretched its supplication, guiding the
travelers westward. Joshua Tree National Park is a meeting ground
between the low lying western reach of the Sonor and
De Lizzard and the more vegetated Hi Mahabi Desert. The
merging deserts give the park a unique landscape with an

(01:58:06):
abrupt transition between the Sonoran and Mahabi ecosystems. Joshua Tree
offers visitors a variety of outdoor activities, including the typical hiking, biking, camping,
and horseback riding. There are large boulders throughout the park
that make it a well known rock climbing destination, and
the night skies provide crystal clear stargazing. The natural beauty

(01:58:29):
of the park is a key factor in its popularity.
But despite all the beauty found in Joshua Tree, inexplicable
things have been known to happen here, some of which
are truly horrifying. Let's look at local legends, disappearances as
survival stories from Joshua Tree National Park. First up, desert dungeon.

(01:58:51):
In the depths of Joshua Tree National Park, there's a
strange cave, which is actually an enclosure constructed around a
large boulder and sealed with an iron door. There long
enduring legends attached to this cave. Some people think perhaps
it was where local farm restored dynamite. Others theorized it
was where rustlers or gold thieves kept their loot. The

(01:59:13):
energy it radiates, however, is much more sinister, darker, more disturbing.
Legends exist, probably rooted in truth about the cave being
used to hold people captive. One story, with many versions,
maintains that a local family and born a horribly disfigured
and mentally impaired son who was huge and monstrous. The

(01:59:35):
family hid him away from society, locking him up in
this rocket iron desert dungeon. The father would bring him food,
but the poor soul spent his days and nights of prisoner.
Growing tired of this miserable existence, the disfigured man broke
out of his prison and fled, leaving the iron door
ajar for his father to find. Upon his return. Searching

(01:59:56):
far and wide, the father couldn't find his son. Reports
and rumors began to surface about random brutal attacks on
travelers who sustained injuries like they were surrogants being punished
for someone else's horrible misgivings. The legend holds that the
tortured man was never caught, and he, or whatever's left
of him, could still be out there today roaming Joshua Tree,

(02:00:20):
looking for unsuspecting travelers to make them atone for his
father's sins. Next up, we have the Yuckaman. The first
reported sighting of the Yucker Man happened in nineteen seventy one,
provided by a source not normally keen on believing in
the other worldly. A United States marine was on guard

(02:00:40):
duty at the base in Joshua Tree's twenty nine Palms.
Well into his overnight shift. The marine was keeping posts
duty required when a huge and seemingly human man came
out of darkness toward him. As the burly being drew closer,
the marine caught sight of the man's successive hair growth
as abnormally long arms, which hung well below the knees.

(02:01:02):
The marine lifted his rifle and gave an order to halt,
but then the strange man lunged forward and snatched the
rifle away, surprising the marine and knocking him off stands.
He was startled, but caught himself and watched as the
wild man bent the metal rifle barrel in half with
his bare hands. The broad shouldered beast of a man
gave a grunt and then knocked the marine unconscious, perhaps

(02:01:25):
from the butt of his own weapon. When he came to,
the giant man was gone, but his disfigured gun lay
next to him. Even so, the marine couldn't move. The
blow he sustained had caused a lot of damage. He
lay there half conscious until the next morning, when he
was found by the relief guard. Reportedly, both the CIA

(02:01:48):
and the FBI were brought in to investigate, as this
wasn't the only incident to be reported. There were at
least two other sightings that same night. Wond report described
the man as being nearly two feet tall, but with
a smaller, unknown figure by its side. Several people also
reported that their dogs had barked and acted strangely that evening.

(02:02:10):
In the same year, there were reports from employees at
Joshua Tree stating they had also seen the large hairy figure.
In nineteen seventy nine, a couple on a trip to
Joshua Tree said they were forced to slam on the
brakes in their car one night when what they described
as a large hairy man stood in the middle of
the road near their condominium in Desert Hot Springs. They

(02:02:32):
recalled that he just stepped from behind a yucca bush
and stood in front of the car, refused to move.
The couple claimed the creature's hairy chest was the size
of a refrigerator and its arms were abnormally long. Sounds familiar.
It had lengthy tan hair that swished back and forth
as it walked away and disappeared into the night, but
only after frightening them. Senseless evidence was left behind it.

(02:02:56):
Yet more Yukaman's sightings in nineteen seventy nine in him It, California.
This beast seen on two separate occasions, this being left
behind seventeen footprints that were said to be a foot
and a half long, spanning six feet apart. Two prominent
bigfoot researchers worked the area looking for further information, but
nothing more has surfaced. Skin Walkers. Toys of skinwalkers inhabiting

(02:03:23):
the Joshua Tree area date back many centuries. The Native
American Navajo tribe first experienced these beings several hundred years ago,
calling them ey Nagloshi, meaning he who walks on all fours.
The legend of the skin walkers hold forth that they
are actually human shape shifters that were once shamans of
the Navajo tribe. The shamans, who used their gifts for

(02:03:46):
evil like herding or cursing people, were turned into skin walkers,
able to take the form of various animals like fox,
birds or coyotes. The Navajo people tried to keep their
existence from becoming known to the outside world, but over
a century ago, weird and often terrifying things began happening
to outsiders in Joshua Tree, so terrifying, in fact, that

(02:04:09):
some Navajo people refuse to this date to speak of
the skinwalkers for fear of drawing them to them. Campers, visitors,
and other travelers have reported being attacked and often taunted
by these beings. Some campers have claimed that when a
skin walker is near, it's like they're being drawn toward
whatever the creature is mimicking. Skinwalker attacks are sometimes even deadly,

(02:04:31):
with evil beings sinking their teeth into human flesh and
ripping people apart. Those who live to tell the tale
of a skinwalker attack are never the same, and they
always carry scars, both of the physical and psychological varieties. Next,
let's look at some strange disappearances from Joshua Tree National Park.

(02:04:53):
Paul Miller, fifty one years old, disappeared on July thirteenth,
twenty eighteen, in Joshua Tree National Park. He was on
vacation with his wife, Stephanie at the time of his disappearance.
They were traveling in celebration of their twenty sixth wedding anniversary.
Backwoods camping, hiking, and kayaking were typical pastimes for the couple.

(02:05:15):
They were in great shape and loved the outdoors. Paul
last spoke with his wife when he told her that
he was going out from one last hike in the park.
He planned on hiking the popular forty nine Palms Oasis
Trail before they were to begin their journey back to Ontario, Canada.
He left their hotel room around nine am that morning
and drove to the trailhead. When Paul didn't return by

(02:05:36):
the hotel checkout time, Stephanie became worried. Around noon, she
contacted park officials and a search and rescue mission was launched.
Paul's rental car was found where he parked at the trailhead,
but he wasn't with it. Rangers hiked the trail looking
for him, but to no avail. Paul also didn't have
a cell phone on him, but this was not out

(02:05:57):
of the ordinary. The search for Faulk continued for five
days with not so much as a trace of evidence
servicing aside from his rental car. The search included over
six hundred volunteers, multiple agencies, k nines, high tech equipment,
and lots of hope, but nothing was found. Park superintendent
David Smith said, we have a witness who saw Paul

(02:06:19):
at the trailhead that morning, but that's all. Another visitor
from England that was at the park that morning reported
seeing Paul at around nine am, walking quickly and with
purpose about halfway down the trail. No other sightings were reported. However,
on December twenty first, twenty nineteen, in PS authorities and
San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department reported that human remains had

(02:06:41):
been found in a remote and rocky part of Joshua Tree.
Official state of the discovery came about through photographs taken
by a drone fly over the area in November. On
December twenty, park ranger's height to the area where they
found human skeletal remains. In personal longings, there was no
identification with the remains, which appeared to have been there

(02:07:01):
for quite some time. Upon the discovery of these remains,
the Miller family prepared themselves for the likelihood that those
belonged to Paul. It's been a tough journey, waiting, waiting, waiting.
Then you hear he's been found, It doesn't make it
any easier. Stephanie Miller said in a phone interview. Speculation
is that whatever happened that caused his death happened quickly,

(02:07:24):
she said, possibly a heart attack or heat stroke. He
was found in a shaded area and still had water
and food. It appeared he had made the hike to
forty nine palms oasis, but was coming back from trail
the wrong way. Early in the search for Paul, teams
had gotten close enough to where the remains were found
that he would have heard and responded when they called

(02:07:45):
out his name, she said, adding there is comfort knowing
he didn't suffer long. I hated to think he was suffering,
and we couldn't find him. As of January nineteenth, twenty
twenty two time of recording, Paul Miller's case has no
further updates. Another disappearance in Joshua Tree was that of

(02:08:06):
William Michael Euasco. Sixty five year old William Michael Ouasco,
known as Bill, disappeared on June twenty fourth, twenty ten,
from Joshua Tree National Park while on a day hei.
Bill lived in Marietta, Georgia, along with his freance Mary Winston.
Bill was a strong hiker with experience in the wilderness,
and he had loved Joshua Tree for a long time

(02:08:28):
and visited the park almost yearly. He was an Army
veteran who had served in Vietnam, and he loved to
be outdoors. It was on a Wednesday, June twenty third,
twenty ten, when Bill arrived at lax from Georgia, he
rented a white Chrystler Seabring and drove to Rancho Mirage, California.
Bill was staying at a friend's vacant condo on this

(02:08:50):
particular trip. On Thursday, the twenty fourth of June, he
headed for Joshua Tree, making a couple of calls along
the way. Bill told his beon s Mary, that he
planned on leaving the park by five pm and was
going to have dinner that evening at the Pioneer Town
restaurant Happy in Harriet's. Mary believed that Bill was planning
the hike too a place called Carry's Castle, which was

(02:09:12):
the first item on the planet a tenerary he'd left
with her. That would have been an ambitious hike for
the time of year, though due to the high temperatures
in the lower portion of Joshua Tree. Mary was uncomfortable
with the destination choice due to its remoteness, and had
asked him to reconsider. Bill just laughed it off and
gave no indication he was changing his mind. When Bill

(02:09:33):
failed to call Mary that evening, she grew concerned and
began making calls early the next day, Friday, June twenty five,
Joshua Tree officials had been notified of the incident and
were given a description of Bill's vehicle along with his itinerary.
By mid morning, rangers to check the trailhead for Carry's Castle,
but found no vehicles. They began checking other areas of

(02:09:56):
the park, but it wasn't until four fifty six pm
on Saturday, June twenty sixth at the California Highway Patrol
copter spotted Bill's vehicle park at the Juniper Flats trailhead,
which is a regular starting point for visitors wanting to
hike to the top of Quailed Mountain, a destination also
listed on Bill's itinerary. Ranger stayed with Bill's car overnight

(02:10:18):
just in case he came back, but he never showed.
There was one known visitor to Jennifer Flats trailhead on
the day Bill disappeared, a hiker named Greg Mendoza. At
the time of his arrival around ten twenty am, there
was no one else at the trailhead, but upon his
return between five point thirty and six pm, he saw
Bill's car. He also saw a single line of fresh

(02:10:40):
boot tracks going up the old Jennifer Flats Road. This
means that Bill's car had arrived at the parking lot
no earlier than ten twenty am, leaving at minimum a
near two and a half hour gap from his last
phone call. It should have only taken Bill about half
that time to reach Juniper Flats trailhead, so it's unknown
where Bill was for the extra hour or so. By

(02:11:02):
this point, an official search and rescue operation began, focusing
mainly on Quail Mountain, but also involving other areas that
he could have accessed from the Jenniper Flat's trailhead. The
official search continued until July fifth, twenty ten, eleven days
after Bill's disappearance, and involved hundreds of search and rescue personnel.

(02:11:22):
Included in these search and rescue teams from all over
southern California where canine units, horseback riders, civilian volunteers, helicopters,
and a fixed wing aircraft. In total, about seven hundred
and seventy miles of GPS tracks from ground searchers were logged.
Only a red bandana believed to belong to Bill, was
found on the ridge near Quayll Mountain. Throughout all these efforts,

(02:11:45):
the unofficial search continued on despite the lack of evidence
even with many people being involved after the official search ended.
As of this recording in January of twenty twenty two,
bill Owasco remains missing and there have been no further updates.
Lauren Choe Lauren Ell Choe disappeared on June twenty eighth,

(02:12:09):
twenty twenty one, from the area between Marongo and Yucca
Valleys in California. Lauren grew up in Hunterdon County, New Jersey,
and went mother nicknamed Elle. She studied music education at
Westminster Choir College and became a high school music teacher. However,
Elle quit her teaching job in the winter of twenty twenty.

(02:12:29):
She then joined her friend Cody Orrel on a road
trip cross country. She joined this trip with the intention
of running a food truck once they arrived at their
final destination, Bombay Beach, California. By June twenty twenty one,
Elle was working as the private chef for an Airbnb
property called The Whole, owned by Tao Ruspoli. The property

(02:12:50):
is located between Yucca and Morongo Valleys outside of Joshua
Tree National Park. On June twenty eighth, twenty twenty one,
Elle took off on her own after he had argument
ensued between she and her friend Cody. The housekeeper at
the Airbnb property claimed that both Ell and Cody had
been drinking since early in the day and l had
become aggravated when Cody refused to let her drive away,

(02:13:13):
so she took off on foot, leaving her phone and
taking no food or water. This was around three in
the afternoon. Cody called the Sheriff's office around five thirteen
PM when his initial search rail, which included some of
their other friends, came up empty. They didn't find so
much as a single footprint. Elle was last seen wearing

(02:13:33):
a yellow T shirt and blue jeans shorts when she
walked away from where she was staying. Cody thought she
might have gotten into a vehicle with someone, considering there
were no tracks and Elle was supposedly planning on meeting
an unknown individual later in the day anyway, although this
theory was never confirmed. Law enforcement officials, as well as
search and rescue teams come to the area on foot,

(02:13:55):
and included K nine rescue teams and a fixed wing
aircraft which was used conduct aeri of searches. The Morongo
Basin Sheriff Station told reporters that their helicopter along with
members of the Search and Rescue Unit, had been searching
for L since her disappearance. However, they believe that L
was voluntarily missing due to no evidence of foul play.

(02:14:16):
The Specialized Investigation Divisions of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's
Department began assisting in the search rail in September of
twenty twenty one. However, this was a good three months
after her disappearance. Despite these efforts, no evidence of her
whereabouts came to light. Cody and some of L's other
friends tried to bringing awareness to her disappearance by using

(02:14:37):
social media platforms. They also posted flyers all around the
Bombay Beach area, but nothing came of it. No one
came forward claiming to have seen L. The search continued
until October ninth, twenty twenty one, when investigators found human
remains in the rugged terrain of Yaco Valley. On October
twenty eighth of twenty twenty one, it was confirmed that

(02:15:00):
the remains found did indeed belong to L. Because in
matter for passing have not been released as of this recording.
In January of twenty twenty two, Larne Show's case has
no further updates. Next. It brings us to the disappearance
of Patrick Lynn Wells. Thirty eight year old Patrick Wells

(02:15:20):
disappeared on June five, twenty twenty one, from Joshua Tree
National Park. Park spokesperson Jenny Albrink stated that Patrick was
last seen on June fifth, when he left to drive
to his dad's house. Patrick was from twenty nine Palms
and he was heading your Riverside. He never made it
to his destination and was officially reported missing on June ten.

(02:15:42):
He's described as a Caucasian male, five feet ten inches tall,
playing about one hundred and ninety seven pounds. He has
brown hair and brown eyes, as well as a dragon
and a United States Marine Corps insignia tattoo on his arms.
Is believed he was wearing a white T shirt, blue jeans,
and either tennis shoes or black work boots at the
time of his disappearance. Park officials found Patrick's truck in

(02:16:05):
the Indian Cove parking lot of the Rattlesnake Canyon area
on the day was reported missing. Joshua Tree National Park
began investigating and organized a search. The efforts continued until
the search was hauled at June twelfth, twenty twenty one,
on discovery of human remains in a hiking area of
Joshua Tree. Soon after, the coroner confirmed the remains belonged

(02:16:26):
to Patrick, though no cause of his passing was listed.
As of January nineteenth, twenty twenty one, the date of
this recording, there have been no further updates on the
Patrick Wells case. Next, we have Erica Ashley Lloyd. Thirty
seven year old Erica Lloyd was last seen on June fourteenth,

(02:16:47):
twenty twenty, at her home in Walnut Creek, San Bernardino County, California.
She told her family she was going on a camping
trip to Joshua Tree National Park. Erica's mob ruth since
she he was just trying to make ends meet like
so many others during the pandemic. Erica owned a salon
called Bloom in Alamo, California, but when the mandatory closures

(02:17:11):
and other restrictions came about due to the pandemic, Erica's
salon closed down and didn't reopen. The trip to Joshua
Tree was to be a chance for her to get
away from all the negativity for a little while. Erica's
described as five foot three inches tall, one hundred and
twenty five pounds and house brown hair and blue eyes.
According to Erica's roommate, she said she was planning to

(02:17:32):
meet other people at Joshua Tree. However, the identities of
those people she was supposedly planning to meet are still
a mystery, and it's unclear if she did indeed meet
up with anyone. After leaving home. On June fourteen, when
Erica didn't return and couldn't be reached, her family reported
her missing. On June seventeen, authorities found Erica's car, a

(02:17:53):
black two thousand and six, on to a cord, abandoned
on Shelton Road north of State Route sixty two, just
east of the Nine Palms area. Both the front and
rear windshiels were broken, and the car appeared to be
involved in a sandburm accident which mangled the k frame
of the car and deployed the airbag. Even so, California

(02:18:13):
Highway Patrol Officer Casey Simmons said investigators found no evidence
on the roadway consistent with the traffic accident. Some of
Erica's items were found in the car, but there was
no sign of her whereabouts. The police stated there was
no indication of foul play up until the car was found.
According to Erica's sister in law, Jenna, Erica was very

(02:18:34):
stressed about the pandemic and the quarantine, and she was
going camping for a few days to sort of unplug,
despite the fact that she was not an experienced camper.
The most accurate information about Erica's disappearance can be found
on the Bring Erica Home Facebook page. The following is
an excerpt from a comment written by Erica's mom on
that page. There have been many stories of Erica from

(02:18:56):
various podcasts and in the form world, which are filled
with a lot of opinions, theories, and conjectures. The information
that they provide almost never comes from the police investigators
handling Erica's case to verify or corroborate their info. We
know that Erica was not in a good state of
mind and decided to take this trip to Joshua Tree
Park to clear her head. There's been no indication of

(02:19:20):
foul play up to winter car was found on Shelton Road,
broken down, despite what others may say or think. We
received six sightings of apparently homeless or transient women fitting
Erica's description in the high Desert area, but none of
them turned out to be her. Some of what was
done to find Erica there were search teams from the

(02:19:40):
Sheriff's Department that continued to search further and further out
from the location of her car. Doug Billings, an expert
at mapping a cave diver, has extensive knowledge of minds
in the area. He's done numerous searches with the help
of his friends, family members, and other groups have aided
in the searching. Banners and a billboard were placed in
strategic locations in the Wonder Valley area asking if anyone

(02:20:04):
helped Erica on June sixteenth. Erica's aunts have sent out
hundreds of flyers to homeless shelters, hospitals, and food banks
areas such as Twenty nine Palms, Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley,
Palm Springs, Desert Springs, Indio, Coachella, Riverside, Morongo Basin, Ontario,
Los Angeles, San Diego, Venice Beach, and Moore. Erica's mom

(02:20:29):
further states we're continuing to look at offbeat communes like
Slab City and Amboy. Both police investigators from San Bernino
Sheriff's Department and Walnut Creek Police Department are still actively
investigating the case. The case remained active after Erica's disappearance
with no real leads until January of twenty twenty one.

(02:20:49):
In February of twenty twenty one, Erici's brother posted to
the Facebook page saying, as the brother of Erica Lloyd,
I would like to address the public on behalf of
our family. On January thirty first, twenty twenty one, human
remains were discovered by hikers in the vicinity of Danby
Road and Amboy Road in Wonder Valley, California. It is

(02:21:12):
with a heavy heart announce that these remains have been
identified by Sam Bernardino County Sheriff's Department as my sister Erica.
There is no easy way for me to tell you
all this, and there's no easy way for any of
us to receive it. My wish is that we can
all lean in a little closer, hold each other up,
and remind each other more often that we're here for

(02:21:34):
one another with open arms and endless love. It's what
she would have wanted. It's the spirit of who she was.
On May twelfth, twenty twenty one, Erica's family shared another
post on the bring erica home Facebook page, quoting here,
the family of Erica Lloyd would like to give an update.
The sam Bernardino County s Sheriff's Department Special Investigative Unit

(02:21:55):
has notified us they are no longer handling Erica's case.
After reviewing the extensive investigation done on Erica's disappearance, they
have not found any indication of foul play. Thus, Erica's
case will be turned back over to the Morongo Basin
Station investigators for any remaining follow up and information. From
everything the investigators learned and everything we found out from

(02:22:17):
our first trip to California in June to our last
trip in February, all indications appeared Erica suffered a sudden
mental breakdown starting about a week before she disappeared into
the desert. During that last week, Erica had communicated with
various family members, friends, co workers, and some clients. The
common thread from all of them referring to Erica was

(02:22:38):
something was off and out of place, but they couldnot
put their finger on it. One co worker was so
concerned about Erica on June tenth, six days before she
went missing, that she dropped by Erica's apartment to check
up on her and spent a couple of hours talking
to her. It was the following day when Erica took
off on her road trip. It has been hard to
understand how Erica, who was a free spirit, hardworking and

(02:23:02):
an independent loving mom, could suffer a sudden mental psychotic breakdown.
Psychosis means losing touch with the reality, is often associated
with various serious mental illnesses. Distress becomes too overwhelming. Anyone
may experience these symptoms, triggering a breakdown. Erica was dealing
with the lockdown, learning to take care of her son

(02:23:24):
in the new Stay and Place world a, forced to
shut down of her thriving Bloom Hair studio in Almo, California,
losing personal contact with the clients whose weddings and proms
were canceled, and trying to make some sense to understand
where our society was going. This was overwhelming to her
and pushed her over the edge and into a break

(02:23:45):
Erica was no longer in control and the voices she
heard had taken over her thoughts. As a family, we
are heartbroken over losing our Erica. It is difficult to
understand what struggles her mind was going through the last
week of her life. We know there were possibly missed
opportunities to stop and help Erica before she slipped away

(02:24:06):
and wandered out into the desert. At this point, it's
unknown if any person or persons could have made a
difference in stopping or helping her. We accept what happened
to Erica and know she was in the storm of
her life. Joshua Treet National Park has a mystical appeal
and is said to be located on a powerful energy vortex,

(02:24:26):
and Erica was drawn to this place. Unfortunately, as beautiful
as the desert is, the heat is brutal and harsh
during the day and cold at night. We know that
prior and during this time, Erica was seeking the Lord,
looking for peace and happiness in her life. While working
with the investigators and searchers early on, we knew there

(02:24:48):
were three main possibilities of what could have happened to Erica.
All were closely looked at, but sadly, on June sixteenth,
twenty twenty, Erica was running. It was hot, she was scared, dehydrated,
and not in touch with the reality. She wandered into
the desert and succumbed to the elements. We know Erica

(02:25:09):
is at peace now. Because of Erica's faith in God,
he has a bigger plan for her, which gives us comfort.
This is our hope. The Lord Jesus Christ brought Erica home.
End to Any updates that the family wished to share
in the future will be posted on the Facebook page
titled bring Erica Home Now. On a lighter note, not

(02:25:36):
everybody that goes missing in Joshua Tree perishes. Here are
some amazing true stories of survival. Claire Nelson Thirty six
year old Claire Nelson nearly died alone in the desert
in May of twenty eighteen. Claire, originally from New Zealand,
was visiting friends who lived near Joshua Tree National Park,

(02:25:57):
where she was to house sit for them while they
left vacation. During her stay, Claire planned on adventuring through
the desert and connecting with nature. Clara was experiencing the outdoors,
and she was a fiercely independent person, so much so
that she had been pushing people away for some time.
But she loved exploring and also sharing her travel experiences online.

(02:26:20):
She was a freelance travel writer at the time of
the Joshua Tree visit that changed her life forever. After
her friends left for their journey to Scotland. Claire was
on to her own adventures. She left for a day
hike to Joshua Tree, plaiting to explore the Lost Bombs
Oasis trail. However, Claire hadn't told anybody specifically where she

(02:26:43):
was going, only that she planned on exploring inside Joshua Tree.
It started out as a day like any other. Claire
packed the day bag with a spare T shirt, several
liters of water and a meager lunch a hard boiled egg,
a bagel and a chocolate bar. Fussel carried other items
that were usually not essential for just a few hours

(02:27:04):
outdoors but later proved life saving a plastic bag, a bandanna,
a park map and sunscreen. With her daypacking place, Claire
drove to Joshua Tree and parked. It was hot, but
Claire was confident and enjoying herself in the beauty of
the desert. She was waised into her heike when she
unknowingly wandered off the designated trail and began following a

(02:27:27):
dry river bed and there was a boulder she had
to climb on the path she was traveling. She climbed up,
then began testing her footing. Everything seemed okay until her
foot started slipping and she became unsteady. She lost her
balance completely and went crashing over twenty six feet down
into a clearing not much bigger than she was, shattering

(02:27:48):
her pelvis in the process. The fall knocked the breath
out of her, and the pain was excruciating and unrelenting.
Claire recalled, I'd landed amongst these large boulders, and I
couldn't move. I couldn't sit up, I couldn't stand up.
It was indescribably painful. Unable to move, Claire immediately tried

(02:28:09):
using her cell phone to call for help, but she
had no service. The predicament she was in was life threatening. Indeed,
she was all alone in the desert with a shattered pelvis,
barely enough water for a day and a half, and
contending with the California desert heat, as well as unusually
high numbers of coyote, rattlesnakes, and other dangers. I felt

(02:28:32):
more vulnerable than I could ever have imagined being in
my life, Claire said of the ordeal. She immediately began
recording videos of herself, messages to friends and family, as
well as documentation of her situation, Claire occasionally tried to move,
especially to find shade, but when she tried, there was
a crunching, clicking sound coming from her pelvic region, along

(02:28:54):
with searing, my numbing pain. She couldn't budge to admit it,
but this hike was not the first time she'd left
for an adventure without telling someone of her plans. I
know better, I know the rules. Always tell someone where
you're going, said Claire, who wrote about her experience in
her book Things I Learned From Falling the Reality of

(02:29:17):
her situation set in and Claire really didn't want to
spend the night alone on the desert floor, but she
had no other option. Nobody knew to check in with
her or to expect her back at a certain time.
The fact that she might die out there alone was
not lost on Claire. She kept recording videos, then turning
her phone and digital camera off to conserve the battery life.

(02:29:39):
She made herself eat the hard boiled eggs since it
would go bad anyway, and she knew she needed the
protein if she was going to survive this tragedy. Her
determination and will live kicked in, however, and Claire prepared
herself for the nighttime. After nightfall, there were bats flying around,
and Claire hoped they weren't the kind that liked to
bite people. Imagination went wild, and she was sure at

(02:30:02):
times that she was seeing snakes coming out of the rocks,
though in reality, snakes rarely come out at night. Thankfully,
she survived until morning one night in the desert alone
and injured. Down only two more to go, Claire tried
her best to protect herself from the elements. She used
a stick to rub sunscreen on her legs. Sun is

(02:30:25):
unforgiving during the desert summers and can quickly do significant
damage to her skin, as well as dehydrate it's even faster.
She rationed what was left for her food and water
as long as she could, but neither It lasted very long.
The lack of water grew unbearable. Dehydration is a god
awful business, Claire wrote in her book. It starts in

(02:30:46):
the mouth. The initial pang of craving quite subtle and
easy to ignore, but the signals get more insistent over time.
Your tongue becomes increasingly dry and scratchy, thickening like a
woolen mitten, sticking again, the size of your mouth like velcrow.
From there, you feel it in your head. A slowly
increasing pressure throbs inside your skull, as if her brain

(02:31:09):
is shrinking in on itself, withering like a piece of
dried fruit. She fantasized about diet coke and other cold refreshments,
even willing them to be real. Claire had no choice.
Once her water ran out. She even urinated in a
bottle and drank it for hydration. While unpleasant, at least

(02:31:29):
it helped keep her alive. She used the park map,
the bandana, and the plastic bag which she attached to
a stick to cover herself and block out the sun.
Claire continued applying sunscreen, recycling her urine, and making videos,
but there was nothing else she could do. She was
trapped in the middle of the desert with no way

(02:31:50):
of knowing whether anyone was searching for She battled the
scorching heat on the second day and dreaded nightfall. She
didn't want spent another night alone in the desert. Naturally,
she hadn't slept, and delirium was setting in. She made
it through the night with sheer willpower and determination. Of

(02:32:11):
the third day, Claire's mind was really playing tricks on
her sought. Sheard helicopters and ambulances, but it was all
in her head. She could see birds of prey circling overhead,
waiting for her to die so they could grab an
easy meal. However, after a couple of days of social
media silence, the friends Claire was house sitting for grew concern.

(02:32:34):
It wasn't like her not to post, especially when she
was somewhere beautiful like Joshua Tree. They contacted friends from
the area and had them go to the house to
check for Claire. When they didn't see her car or
find her at the home, Claire was reported missing. Joshua
Treat National Park officials found her car, and there were
at least two days of chalk marks, which were used

(02:32:56):
to tell whether or not a vehicle has been moved.
It was clear that Claire had left the car and
not come back for quite some time. The search and
rescue mission was launched. The searchers were starting where her
car was found and working outwards. They made several rounds
in a helicopter near where Claire had fallen, but they
didn't find her at first. After all, she was trapped

(02:33:16):
between large boulders where it was difficult to see. They
called out over the helicopter's PA system, we are looking
for a missing hiker. If you can hear us, please
make movement. The search crew didn't know it, but Claire
was screaming for help as she heard the helicopter and
it was real this time. She tied the plastic bag
on the end of her stick with her hair tie

(02:33:37):
and began waving it frantically. It wasn't until their last
and final sweep of the area that they saw tiny
and obscure a plastic grocery bag waving back and forth.
They called out that they could see her and told
her that help was on the way. Due to the terrain,
the helicopter couldn't land in the area, so rescuers had

(02:33:58):
to hike into where she was at the same Claire
knew at that point that she was going to be okay.
After three nights and four days alone in the desert,
Claire was rushed to a hospital where she received emergency surgery. Thankfully,
she made it through okay and spent the next several
months recuperating. She had to do extensive rehabilitation and spend

(02:34:20):
some time in a wheelchair before she was able to
learn to walk. Again. During her time in that awful situation,
Claire realized that she had been pushing people away, and
although she was connecting with others in social media, there
was a lack of true human connection in her life.
She made the decision that if she lived through this ordeal,

(02:34:40):
she was going to do better for herself and for others.
Claire Triumphully returned to Joshua Tree a year later with
friends and finally finished the hike she had started that
almost ended her life. Today, Claire's thankful to be alive,
and she vowed to never forget what happened to her
and to use it as motivation. Her book, Things I

(02:35:03):
Learned from Falling can be found on Amazon. Next up
in her survivor's Holly Jocum Thirty two year old Holly
Jocum was planning a camping trip on December twenty seventh,
twenty twenty, to Big Bear Campground in California. She packed
her things and loaded her two dogs into RV as

(02:35:26):
she drove to Big Bear. She was excited for the trip,
but unfortunately, when she arrived, she found the camp site
was closed. Around four forty five pm that day, she
contacted family and told them about a change of plans.
She was going to drive an hour and fifteen minutes
away and camp in the desert at Joshua Tree instead,
and said she'd call when she arrived. But by seven

(02:35:47):
point thirty that evening, Holly's phone was off or otherwise unreachable,
and her family hadn't heard from her. They were rightfully concerned.
In contact to the authorities, they filed a missing person
and began reaching out on social media for help locating Holly.
Her sister Laurie made a post asking for anyone who

(02:36:08):
might have seen Holly to please come forward. Holly had
randomly selected the camp site and Joshua Treat from her phone.
Although she was an experienced camper, the site she chose
was unfamiliar to her. On the way to the site,
the terrain had become difficult, and she decided to camp
out in a secluded area until the next day. The

(02:36:28):
night came and went, and the next morning Holly woke
to find two feet of snow had fallen through the night.
Holly wrote about the ordeal. By Tuesday, there was nearly
two feet of very fine fresh powder and I was stuck.
There was also no cell service where she had parked,
so she and her two dogs were truly out there alone.

(02:36:49):
For three days, Holly and the dogs camped out, waiting
for the snow to melt, but that never happened. Holly
decided she had to do something. Friday morning, she planned
on hiking back down the mountain, at least until she
had cell service. The snow was too deep for dogs,
so she loaded them into two separate backpacks and began
the six mile hike back down. Eventually, she reached a

(02:37:11):
place that had phone service and she called in her
location to her mom and the authorities. Search teams have
been looking for and news of her safety was caused
for celebration. Holly met the sheriff at the bottom of
the mountain, who drove her to Cabazon, where she met
with her mother. Thankfully, neither Holly nor her dogs were
harmed during their time stuck on the mountain, and they

(02:37:31):
had a happy ending, unlike so many others who go missing.
Holly wrote, I'm so thankful for everyone who was involved
in searching for me, for everyone who shared the missing
person's post, and mostly for my family who tried with
every ounce they had to bring me back. The experiences
sure to remind Holly as well as the rest of us,
of the dangers of the wilderness and just how quickly

(02:37:54):
things can change when you're at the mercy of Mother Nature.
At our last tale of survival, Robert Ringo, sixty seven
year old Robert Ringo was on a day hike one
Thursday in June of twenty twenty near Quayle Mountain in
Joshua Tree National Park when tragedy struck. Robert had gotten
ready that morning with nothing out of the ordinary. He

(02:38:15):
drove to Joshua Tree and once parked, shared his location
with his son, something he always did. He brought along
two liters of water for the hike, but not much
more in the way of supplies. The temperatures from the
high nineties the desert heat was sweltering. Robert is an
avid hiker and used to these conditions, so he wasn't worried,

(02:38:36):
especially since he was only planning a short hike. He
felt good starting out on his walk put aways into
the hike while admiring the views and enjoying the outdoors.
Robert somehow lost his footing and fell to the ground,
breaking his left femur. The area he was in had
no cell service, so he was stranded. After his fall,
I started trying to at least turn over, and when

(02:38:58):
I did, he said, it was just unbelievable pain. Robert
began recording himself since he had no way of signaling
for help. His cries for help can be heard in
the videos shared with news media. Robert knew his two
leaders of water wouldn't last for long. He tried to
at least get himself onto his back and finally managed
after some time lying there. He knew he had to

(02:39:20):
eat something to keep his energy up. I somehow scooted
it up this place, ate some juniper berries and saw
what I thought might be flowers, but they were all dry,
so I wasn't going to eat them, he said. He
continued recording videos and trying to conserve water. This is
the first time I've experienced no saliva, he said in
one of the videos he took. He knew if he

(02:39:41):
could just hold on long enough, someone would be looking
for him. He mentions having a confidence and a faith
that he was going to survive. The Next day, Friday,
Robert's son Ryan alerted officials of his father's missing status.
He saw on his phone that his dad's last known
location was Joshua Tree. The search and rescue efforts began

(02:40:01):
searching in earnest for Robert. Knowing the summer heat is
dangerous to be in with only limited water supply, time
was of the essence. Rescue teams searched for hours, but
to no avail. It wasn't until Saturday morning, nearly two
days after Robert had taken his fall, that he finally
heard a rescue copter. The Joshua treat Search and Rescue

(02:40:21):
team retrieved Robert and brought him to the Desert Regional
Medical Center. Robert had emergency surgery on his leg and
later made a full recovery. In closing things, like we've
covered in this video, they continue to happen daily, with
their national parks being hotspots for all manner strange occurrences,
some of them natural, some of them bordering on the

(02:40:44):
supernatural and beyond. While there could be any number of
things or a combination of things to blame for these cases,
one thing is certain. We can never be sure something
won't happen to us. It's recommended that everyone who plans
on being with international parks or out of the wilderness
in general, carry a personal locator beacon at all times.

(02:41:04):
The speakon transmits to the stress signal with its location
when activated. So what do you think is happening in
Joshua Tree? Let us know in the comments section, and
if we've earned your subscription, we appreciate it. Please hit
the red button and turn on post notifications so you
don't miss out on any new content or case updates.

(02:41:25):
I look forward to your comments, but ask that you
please keep them friendly and respectful until next time. Take
care of yourselves and each other, and I'll see you
just a little farther on down the trail. I'm Steve Stockton,
and I'll talk to you next time.